December 23rd. Day 2 of our adventure. We left the homestay early so we could drive around the area. With no definite plan, we headed out through the gates in the main bazaar, in the direction of the ???
We didn’t drive very far, when Aigars spotted a farm road, off the main road. This turned out to be a very interesting ride, mostly through acres of banana plantations, dotted randomly, with the ruins of various pavilions, and some minor temples.
The pavilions are just about everywhere and certainly are a mystery. No one seems to have an explanation for what their purpose is. These simple stone structures built on a square base, have a pillar at each corner and support a simple stone roof. Perhaps they were a resting place for travellers!
We drove by a reservoir, which was on private land, and was probably fed by the River Tungabhadra. The road was long and winding, unpaved and taking us through farm land, with a few forks in the road, – the hills of rocks and boulders always in sight, sometimes near, sometimes far, but never leaving us.
Eventually we came back to the main road. After stopping at a village called Gundalakere, we turned back towards Hampi. On the way, we discovered the road up to the Malyavantha Raghunatha temple. The view from this hill is one of the best in Hampi. There is a good road all the way up to the temple complex.
Only part of the temple is in use by a special sect devoted to the Monkey god, Hanuman. Towards the back of the temple is a gate, which
aigarsandmayamotorcyclediaries 