Hampi-Vittala Tunnel

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A footpath, mostly paved with granite slabs, leads from Hampi Bazaar above the right, southern bank of Tungabhadra River to the famous Vittala (Vithala, Vitthala) temple, highlight of the Hampi ruins. At one spot the foopath sneaks underneath a gravitationally dislocated granite boulders which embrace a winding natural tunnel, approximately 8 or 10 m long, on average about 3 m wide and high. It's ground plan resembles a letter -J-. The tunnel functions as a needle's eye focussing the pedestrian movement of pilgrims and tourists. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1828: Fullarton [note 1], Wilks [note 2], Ferishta [note 3], Scott [note 4], &c. [HAMILTON 1828, 1: 241] inpsired HAMILTON (1828, 1: 239) to describe from Bijanagur (Vijayanagara) … stupendous masses of granite, which in some places swell up from the surface to the form and magnitude of hills, and in others present detached blocks of various forms, piled over one another in all sorts of fantastical combinations, occasionally surrounding litle isolated vallies, and elsewhere obstructing all passage except through the narrow-winding defiles which separate the fragments. The communications from street to street, and in some cases the streets also, follow the mazes of these chasms, and in one quarter the principal thoroughfare is under a naturally covered passage, fromed by the rocks.SITUATION: The pedestrian subway lies estimated 5 or 8 vertical metres above the right (southern) bank of Tungabhadra River and about 100 or 150 m short of the lively Ramalakshmana temple (N15°20'10.2”: E76°28'06.8”, WGS84) above the much used Chakra Tirtha (sacred bathing place). CAVE LIFE: The tunnel's much appreciated shade is combined with cool whisps of refreshing breezes, which render the keyhole infested with a substantial diurnal population of well-established, adult beggars (male and female) preying on tourists and pilgrims though the lattar were obviously less harrassed in spring 2004. Since the comparatively obscuring shade ofthe pedestrian tunnel invites about each and every hypocrite mudlark to clear his or her throat, nose, etc., one can expect that this sun-sheltered biotope yields a rich diversity of viral, bacterial and fungal organisms capable of transmitting a comparatively broad variety of interesting deseases.the pedestrian tunnel invites about each and every hypocrite mudlark to clear his or her throat, nose, etc., one can expect that this sun-sheltered biotope yields a rich diversity of viral, bacterial and fungal organisms capable of transmitting a comparatively broad variety of interesting deseases.