Subject: Temple Bazaar 

Place: Hampi,Karnataka

Year: 2023

Camera: Yashica Mat 124 G

Film: Ilford HP5 Plus

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Tales of the fabled markets of the city of Hampi, capital of the great south Indian kingdom of Vijaynagara, are found in the notes and anecdotes of many visitors during its peak in the 14th and 15th centuries. These included traders of various stripes, diplomats to the royal court and the curious and awe inspired who had come just to witness the splendor of the place from the fascinating tales they had heard.

According to the Purusharthas – the goals of life in the dharmic tradition- the role of Artha (livelihood represented by material wealth) is as important as those of Dharma (moral values) and even Moksha (spiritual salvation). And Hampi was particularly blessed with material riches that were on open display in its reputed markets or bazaars with their rich inventories of gems, metals, objects, commodities and crafts of a great variety from all around India and the world. kingdom.

The bazaars of Hampi were in the vicinity of its most famous temples. These bazars were sophisticated and built to purpose with striking columns and pillars for secondary floors and chambers as seen in this picture. These collective markets are seen by some observers as the earliest attempts to forge planned and designated spaces for trade and cultural activities by city authorities. There were seven such key bazaars in Hampi that together became centers for commerce, education and entertainment. Some even had accommodation facilities for travelers and itinerant merchants. 

 

These bazaars were a meeting point for the exchange of both goods and ideas and a melting pot of ethnicities and nationalities. Sadly, it was not to last. The bespoke splendor of the city died out when it succumbed to the ravages of the Sultanate kingdoms from the Deccan and northern parts of India towards the middle of the 17th century. And this is the other problem with wealth, that it attracts envy as much as awe leading eventually to conquest and decline.​

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