JOIN USStructures that have been deemed as encroachments, which included homes of several who have been living here since the 1950s, were demolished. The Hampi bazaar suddenly looks empty and embodies the spirit of the ghost town.
Villagers and tourists were taken by surprise when the demolition drive began. Most villagers complained that they hardly received any notification and it was mostly verbal. While the authorities maintained that they were only following a Court order and they were cleaning up the areas around the Virupaksha temple from “the unholy practices and products” sold around in the area.
Locals have, of course, retorted that they were only selling soft drinks and tender coconut water besides knick-knacks and souvenirs. In the 15th century, the Hampi bazaar, housing the nobility was painted as a lively and dynamic market. With Hampi becoming one of the World Heritage Sites, an overall plan to revive the market was created with the intention of restoring it. But the entire clean-up drive has come in for criticism from writers, archaeologists, historians art historians, researchers from all over the world.
They called the method as unscientific as several structures around the Hampi market have been apparently damaged as well. Several others feel that a far more sustainable approach integrating the villagers should have been planned. ASI officials however added that a rehabilitation plan was in the progress.
The ASI however is excited with the discoveries that they claim have been found under the rubble. “What was a demolition is now an excavation,” says an ASI official. He adds that a kirti mukha from the Hoysala period has been found and one can now see the original floor of the Hampi bazaar underneath the rubble. “We have to wait and watch and see what else we can unearth,” he concludes.
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