Picture South India between the 14th and 16th centuries, when the Vijayanagara Empire flourished as one of its most powerful and prosperous kingdoms. Its most notable king, Krishnadevaraya, didn’t just dream of a fortified capital, but a meticulously planned metropolis. Hampi’s location was no accident, strategically placed along the Tungabhadra River and cradled by natural fortresses of hills and boulders. The architects were true visionaries, seamlessly blending the dramatic natural landscape into the city’s design, creating a harmonious fusion of defense and elegant living spaces. Wide royal roads, bustling markets, and well-organized homes paint a vivid picture of Hampi’s advanced urban life.

The true soul of Hampi is unveiled in its unique Vijayanagara architecture, a beautiful evolution of the Dravidian style. Stand before the Virupaksha Temple, still alive with devotion, its towering gateway (gopuram) adorned with intricate carvings that breathe life into ancient myths. But perhaps the sparkling jewel of Hampi is the Vittala Temple Complex, where artistry reached its peak. Its most famous feature, the Stone Chariot, seems poised to roll, a marvel carved from a single piece of stone. Even more astonishing are the temple’s legendary Musical Pillars, which, with a gentle tap, are said to sing melodic notes – a marvel of ancient acoustic engineering. And don’t miss the graceful Lotus Mahal, a breathtaking blend of Hindu and Islamic artistry, or the expansive Queen’s Bath, showcasing the empire’s refined taste and engineering brilliance.
In a land often thirsty for water, Hampi’s survival and prosperity hinged on remarkable water management. The Vijayanagara engineers were true masters of water. They wove an intricate web of canals and aqueducts, drawing water from the Tungabhadra River to fill vast reservoirs and elegant stepwells, known as Pushkarinis. These stepped tanks, like the one beside the Vittala Temple, were not only practical but also stunning examples of geometric design and masonry. This sophisticated water system allowed the city to thrive, supporting its enormous population and fertile fields.

What truly sets Hampi apart is how its creators didn’t just build on the land, but with it. The enormous granite boulders are everywhere, often becoming natural backdrops, or even integral parts of temples and fortifications. This seamless integration gives Hampi an almost otherworldly feel, a powerful reminder of the deep connection between ancient Indian civilization and its natural world. The sheer scale of the ruins, often requiring you to climb over these very boulders, only deepens the sense of discovery.

Hampi is more than just a historical site; it’s an enduring symbol of India’s rich heritage. It represents a golden age where art, engineering, spirituality, and city planning merged to create something truly extraordinary. For anyone yearning to grasp the genius and artistic soul of ancient India, Hampi offers an unparalleled journey into a lost empire that continues to inspire awe. Its stones truly whisper tales of a glorious past, urging us to protect and learn from these architectural wonders.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Anurodh Das is an aspiring young historian and author. Despite being only 14, he has already written three books, including the non-fiction history work “VISHWAVIDYALAYA: The Lost Knowledge of INDIA,” which focuses on four major ancient Indian universities: Takshashila, Nalanda, Odantapuri, and Vikramshila.

His work on history and culture has been featured on platforms like LinkedIn, Voices Of Youth – UNICEF, and Youth Ki Awaaz. He currently serves as a Student Reporter for Peerbagh’s Bento Magazine and contributes historical narratives for the “SiteLens” project as the youngest member of the NarrAI team at India Lost & Found (ILF).

Anurodh also runs his YouTube channel “RODH’s ZONE” and received an “Honourable Mention” in the RobinAge Bright Sparks Awards 2024-25 for his literary and content contributions. He is dedicated to sparking wider interest in history and culture among youth.

Hearing the cacophonous honking of trucks and altercations between two drivers, in an otherwise peace-filled afternoon, brings a faded memory of my early teenage to light. The memory of my curious observations during the much-loved evening walks with my grandfather. I remember, so clearly, the grimace on his face whenever we encountered such scenes of verbal aggression. He never enjoyed arguments or any form of noisy bickering. In the later years of his life, those walks, and the delightfully curious conversations they held, often ended with him narrating the same kind of stories: stories that on the surface informed me of the transitions in our city after the India-Pakistan partition but in truth spoke more deeply of his personal grief, pain, and a profoundly entrenched feeling of loss and remorse associated with the displacement.

One spring evening, we walked through the sports market of Jalandhar—the hallmark of my city, a place that supplies sporting equipment nationally and internationally, significantly boosting the local economy. My grandfather delved into nostalgia as he told me the tale of his uncle and fellow Hindu entrepreneurs moving across the border from Sialkot (now in Pakistan) along with their workers to Batala to re-establish the sporting industry, under the Government of India’s resettlement plan. However, after meticulous consideration, the industry was relocated to Jalandhar due to easy availability of raw materials such as leather.

I noticed a gleam in his eyes and a sudden shift to softness in his voice as a memory surfaced, a memory tied inextricably to this tale: summer afternoons spent with his cousins, running up and down the terrace stairs until the giggles echoed loud enough to annoy the neighbours during visits to his uncle’s house. They were absolutely unbothered by the scorching heat of the sun; children don’t care much for such obstructions as long as the frenzy continues. He said he missed the fun. The house. The streets. The city.

I loved watching television, even more so when I was younger. The integrated experience of voices and vivid animations astonished me! I would usually tune into music with my grandfather for he shared my love of syncing my heart to the rhythms until I could feel the same ecstatic spirit as the creator, transcend the boundaries of human-created barriers, and experience a feeling beyond our being. It was a feeling that he introduced me to.

One evening, as we walked under the mesmerising violet sunset, we passed through Jalandhar’s All India Radio Station. A conversation struck as he joyously lived through his younger days with radio being the main source of entertainment. All of us know those stories: tweaking the antenna to catch the signal, a bunch of people gathered around to listen to the news commentary, waiting to hear that one beloved song! However, as I got to vicariously live through the time when Jalandhar’s AIR station was established, I was taken aback by the distress induced into the simplicity of people’s lives before its introduction. The reason? Before its introduction, Punjab’s AIR station was based in Lahore (now in Pakistan).
My curiosity piqued as I learned that from 1937 to 1947, Lahore’s AIR served as a central source of information and entertainment for people and continued to do so even post-partition, however, only for Pakistan. While the cities situated between Lahore and Amritsar were flooded with anxious refugees, their hearts pounding to an unsettled and unknown fate, there was no medium of communication to comfort the disoriented. No updates. No reassurance. No voice.

This was when Sardar Kartar Singh Duggal, one of the most accomplished icons of Punjabi literature who served as a senior officer at All India Radio Peshawar and later on at All India Radio Lahore, wrote an appeal to the interim government of India in New Delhi highlighting the urgent need for a radio station in East Punjab. The appeal was met with a positive response and high-powered transmitters were sent to Jalandhar, which was more centrally located and was acting as a stopgap administration centre of East Punjab at that time. Another transmitter was sent to Amritsar and the new combined radio entity came to be known as All India Radio Jalandhar-Amritsar. Its very first task: to repeatedly announce the names, villages, tehsils, and districts of missing individuals.

Our moods switched. The faces of starving children, mourning mothers, and desperate men from the refugee camp struck and swamped my grandfather’s mind. “The rehabilitation of lakhs of people,” he said quietly, “was one of the biggest challenges the government ever faced.”
“It was a horror. My brothers and I saw vultures simply sitting near the carcasses strewn on the ground. They were too full to eat,” he said.
Chills ran down my spine. I looked into his eyes, stunned. My heart sank.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t have the courage to ask any more questions.

About the Author 

Suhana Sharma is deeply moved by the rhythms of human emotions. This curiosity fuels her fascination with the extraordinary spirit that pulses through the heart of India. She draws inspiration from the world around her, which continues to mesmerize her in quiet, powerful ways.

The realms of ancient India reverberated with the Vedic hymns, the shruti. This era has deep relevance in terms of the status of women. Throughout history, women are placed in a position of servitude. At times, the attempts to restraint were countered with the rise to influential positions. The reign of Razia Sultana, the literary accomplishments of Gulbadan Banu Begum, the struggle of Chand Bibi on the ramparts of Ahmednagar Fort and Tara Bai becoming the soul of Maratha resistance against Aurangzeb’s onslaught–women played an active role in  of past. In spite of the obscuration of women’s prominence in history, they have not been silent observers in the passage of time.

In ancient India,  proudly claimed their superior standing and contribution to the development of a picturesque civilisation. The status of women is determined by her social standing and the complex web of rights and responsibilities. It had always been a flux. Woman is depicted as a symbol of institution whose sacrificial spirit plays a significant role in societal structures.

Scholars have explored the status of women in the Vedic society. This theme is crucial for understanding questions regarding women’s position in ancient India. The Vedas are ancient texts consisting of hymns, mythological accounts, oral traditions and hold a sacred place in the history of ancient India. The Vedic concept of Brahma or the superior being, from whose right side man arose and woman arose from the left. The early Vedic age stands witness to the equality of man and woman as seen in the various texts of Rig or Atharva Veda, as well as the Samhitas. The Taitriya Samhita states man and woman, as wheels of a cart or two bulls yoked in a chariot. These portray the existing sense of equality of that age. The lines of Manava Dharmasutra talks about how motherhood is of greater respect than an upadhyaya(teacher), acharya(preceptor) or a father.

The prolific Vedic era probably stood testimony as the distant public discussions raged on with the likes of Gargi and others countering the great scholars of the age. Women had access to the knowledge of ‘The Absolute’ and were at par with their male counterparts in terms of literary and other accomplishments. The stories of Gargi, Maitreyi, Apala, Sita, Savitri and others still resonate in the minds of the people in the present times. These women of ancient India continue to be the inspiration for later works. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mentions Gargi as a great natural philosopher and expounder of Vedas. She challenged the sage Yajnavalkya on theories of aatman (soul) during the brahmayajna debate organised by King Janaka.

Similarly, Maitreyi had also been mentioned in the same Upanishad as one of the two wives of Yajnavalkya. In other texts she is said to be an unmarried Advaita philosopher with great knowledge. They were Mantra-receivers with extensive knowledge that was not barred by society. Considered to be embodiment of Divinities, they were called the brahmavadini or the expounders of Vedas. They explored the ideals of Brahma Vidya. These greatly showcased the high status of women during those times.

Subsequently, there are mentions of other prominent women like Gosha, Lopamudra, Viswavara and others. The story of Gosha proceeds with her suffering of a skin ailment which led to her disfigurement. The divine physicians or the ‘Ashvini Kumars’ cured her. She was a Vedic philosopher and a couple of her hymns are dedicated to the Ashvinis.

Lopamudra belongs to the tier of female sages who were married. She was supposedly the wife of Sage Agastya of the Rig Vedic period. Her identity however, traversed beyond the prestige of a wife. She held the high perch as a Rishiki herself and her hymns in Rig Veda are largely dedicated to Goddess Rati. Even the epic Mahabharata speaks of the legend of Agastya and Lopamudra.

The hymns authored by the 27 female sages in the Rig Veda exhibit the intellectual progress of women. The prime inference however, is the subsequent importance placed on the education of women alongside their male counterparts. The ancient texts are suggestive of education being a prerequisite for a worthy marriage. The hymns in themselves provide colossal information like that of Viswavara. Unrestrained and dynamic emotions are often a pivotal feature of the Vedic hymns authored by women. Viswavara of the Atri family, is a married woman who approaches the flaming sacrificial fire, facing East and prays for a good wedded life. This hymn leads analysts to ponder over the fact that probably women in that era were allowed to make individual sacrifices unlike the later ages, where they were restrained from doing so.

The Vedic times saw marriages solemnizing and brides being greatly valued. Brides were considered to be the ones who brought good luck to the family they married into. Several women were also part of societal assemblies and participated in public meetings. However there are the shades of darker practices that mark the status of women in Vedic Eras. The Later Vedic era saw women as inferior beings and there were mentions of child marriages. Widows were suppressed under the burden of laws as the Manusmriti dictates.

The rise and fall in the position of women continues on to the present periods. Women as part of the heritage of India strive to cross the thresholds of the ordinary and venture into the unknown, since time immemorial.

References

Books:

1. Women in Ancient India: Vedic to Vatsyayana – S.N Sinha, N.K Basu

2. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India – Upinder Singh

Websites:

1. Status of Women in Vedic Period
https://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol11(11)/U1111151153.pdf

file:///C:/Users/saumi/Downloads/571_positive+pyschology+Sonal+Malik%20(4).pdf

2. Women and Power during Vedic Age of Ancient India
https://sadhana-0921.dev.60fps.fr/news/women-and-power/

3. Complete Review of Vedic Literature
https://www.stephen-knapp.com/complete_review_of_vedic_literature.htm

4. On the History of Vedic Texts
https://www.jstor.org/stable/592278

Author

Saumili

I am Saumili, interning at ILF since June of 23. Based in Kolkata and studying History majors, it has been a remarkable journey delving into the innumerable realms of history. My passion for history runs deep, ever since I had first read about the Egyptian civilisation in 4^th grade. The journey since then included numerous books including academic, fiction and non-fiction. From idolising Professor Langdon’s character in the Dan Brown books to reading the most moving dramas based on Nazi invasions, history has been a part and parcel of life. As an avid literature enthusiast as well, I take interest in writing prose and poetry based on a variety of themes. Along with that, I try to impart support towards all kinds of heritage conservation. Tangible and intangible heritages are essential essences of history and need to be safeguarded at all cost. To let the heritage be lost in the course of time would be an irreversible loss to mankind. I stand for the unbiased representation of history, culture and heritage while promoting an all-inclusive approach to it.

The Layout

The Persian word for paradise, pairidaēza means “walled garden.” Built across the lands of Persia, these beautiful green expanses represented the lush gardens of paradise.

An important accompaniment to major Mughal monuments is the Charbagh. As the name suggests, Charbagh is a garden divided into four parts by perpendicular pathways. Commonly, the main building lies at the intersection of the pathways. A perfect example of the Charbagh can be seen at Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, among others.

Water channels run down the pathways. They further divide the four parts of the garden into four squares. A tank is created at the point where these channels intersect. Interestingly, the Quran describes paradise as a beautiful garden divided into north, south, east, and west by four rivers of water, milk, wine, and honey. Furthermore, four is a holy number in Islamic traditions. So, the four channels represent the four rivers, and the tank or the celestial pools reflect the main building, making these tombs not only sepulchral but also an earthly imitation of paradise. Humanyun’s Tomb and the Taj Mahal are also among those Mughal monuments that use this layout of the Charbagh.

The Garden

The Quranic garden of bliss becomes the main idea behind a Mughal garden. In the Quran, the gardens are said to be surrounded by fruit-laden trees, shrubs, and flowers, creating symmetrical patterns. This garden is a place of abundance, a place where one shall not miss anything. At the same time, this place does not exist only to provide the joy of exuberance. It is also a place where one can contemplate how their actions shall affect the future. Hence, one can say that the Mughal garden represents the afterlife.

To this day, the gardens in major mausoleums like Humanyun’s Tomb, Jahangir’s Tomb, and the Taj Mahal are pruned and manicured. Lush fruit-bearing trees of mango, orange, lemon, and even neem are grown here and act as cool shaded pavilions.

The Calligraphy

A study of the garden is revealing as it does not limit the monument to a funerary one but deems it the resident of the Almighty, paradise on Earth. The extensive calligraphy on most of these monuments also suggests this idea. Because of its role in recording the word of God, calligraphy is considered one of the most important Islamic arts. Nearly all Islamic buildings have some kind of inscription in stone, marble, or mosaic, like the Quranic inscription on the southern façade of the main gate of the Taj Mahal, which compares it to the garden of paradise.

“O! the one in

Rest and satisfaction

Come back to your Lord–well pleased

And well pleasing unto him!

Enter you then, among My honoured slaves

And enter you, My Paradise!”

–The Holy Quran, Surah Al-Fajr 89:27-30

A casual visit to these places shall introduce you to their beauty. However, it is important to remember that these monuments are not just architectural marvels; they stand for the mortal effort to create something immortal in more ways than one.

Sources:

-Ria Khetrpal “The Mughal Charbagh: Paradise Gardens on Earth” The Heritage

Lab, May 2, 2020 www.theheritagelab.in

-“Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi” UNESCO World Heritage Convention

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/232/

– Pictures :

1. tripadvisor.com
2. https://www.tajmahalvisit.com/akbar-tomb.html
3. https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/taj_mahal/tlevel_2/t4visit_3calligraphy.html

Sunaina Jain

Description: Sunaina has been a dancer and a teacher of Spanish, English and movement for 14 years. She has worked in many institutions, projects and productions both in India and the US. Her interest in History, Photography, Music, Urdu and Literature fuels her passion.