The Ruins Of Hampi Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Hampi
Where history speaks it
Through stones and structures,
Architecture and sculpture,
Forts, temples, shrines, palaces,
Erstwhile Vijayanagar empire and royal lineage,
Alien conspiracy to defeat
In the form of invasions and raids,
Loot and plunder
Stones littered around and neglected
As for our poor insight of archaeology.

The Virupaksha temple for the consort of Pamapadevi
And the Tungabhadra flowing by
Taking to Siva-Parvati story in a local alternating version,
The temple elephants with the mahout
Tell of our heyday, historical grandeur,
How was it the Sangama period,
So many temples with their historicity and in ruins,
The clutter of stones saying it?

The Vittala temple dedicated to Vishnu,
How to describe it the architectural ornate style
With intrinsic carvings, sculptures and designs
Which the eyes cannot believe it
Taking as some unseen wonder
Through art-work, craftsmanship, decoration,
Carving and chiselling on stone blocs
Hanumanji, Ganesha and others from the pantheon,
The lingam and the yoni and the bull
So vocal with Shaivism and Vaishnavism.

Hampi, where history speaks it,
Speaks it through stone-work and architecture,
Architecture and sculpture,
Golden art-work and grandeur,
A splendour expressed through in viewing
Mythology at work, fabricating stories,
Presenting the panorama of theology,
Spectrum of thought and idea
Cutting stones and rocks, hills and caves.

The Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple, Hampi
Takes out the words from us
And we feel it speechless
In seeing it, a ditto chariot
Just like Konark,
How the design, the cascade,
How the folding, how the lay out,
How the wheels with the hubs
Just like a bullock cart or a coach.

The temples of Hampi,
How to visit them,
Do the parikarma of all that
And how to take the periphery
With such a sight and scenery
And landscape taking to a larger canvas
Of comprehension of gods and goddesses
And the temples dedicated to them
With specific architectural
Connotations and denominations?

The temples are themselves photos,
Golden dreams seen,
Miniature in stone
And you will tire it not in taking selfies
Of the stone-temples, rock-temples of Hampi,
Called Hampe too
By the Tungabhadra river,
The centre of tourist attraction
Where stones speak it,
Archaeology and architecture and sculpture.

But ask you not about the architects, sculptors and builders
As I know them not,
The great construction workers, masons,
How were their tools and instruments,
Who were they as we know them not even now
When get they our houses built,
How their skill and engineering,
Where from their idea and imagery,
Fancy and imagination,
How is it behind their inspiration?

A marvel in stone-work, art and sculpture,
Temple-building and construction,
Carving out of,
It has stood the test of time
As a splendour,
With its several chains of temples,
Groups or clusters
Taking to as gateway to Temple Paradise
Which but Gateway to Heaven.