Anegundi is located in a village in Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district across river Tungabhadra. It has history which is almost 5,000 years old. It is at a distance of 5 kms from Hampi. It is also, believed to be the monkey kingdom of Kishkinda in the epic of Ramayana.
Anegundi means in Kannada "elephant pit" said to have been the place where the elephants of the Vijayanagara kings were kept, it is just opposite the ruined capital of the Vijayanagara empire.
Anegundi's architectural heritage is still relatively unspoiled and an inspiring landscape makes it not only a historical heritage site, but a living, natural one. The village consists of several ancient temples and temple complexes.
History
It is also the cradle of the Krishnadevaraya dynasty of the glorious Vijaynagar Empire and falls in the core zone of the World Heritage Site of Hampi. Anjanadri hill, the birth place of monkey-god Hanuman, and the mountain Rishimuka are the other places near Anegundi associated with Ramayana.
In the epic Ramayana, Kishkinda was the kingdom of Bali, Sugriva's brother. After killing Bali the kingdom was handed over to Sugriva by Rama. Kishkinda-Kanta, a portion in the Ramayana depicts the meeting of Rama and Lakshman with Hanuman and Sugriva. Kishkinda is believed to be part of Karnataka, near Hampi.
With the help of The Kishkinda Trust (TKT), the implementing agency of Endogenous Tourism in Anegundi, the village has become a role model in heritage conservation and sustainable rural tourism.
Tourist Attractions
Navabrindavana is a small island located at the Tungabhadra River near Anegundi in Koppal District. This place is famous for the nine Brindavanas (tombs) of nine famous Madhva saints including that of Vyasatirtha. Tourists can reach Navabrindavana from Anegundi by crossing the River Tungabhadra. Navabrindavana can also be accessed through Hampi in Bellary District.
Nimvapuram a nearby village, has a mount of ash believed to be the cremated remains of monkey king Bali.
The Archaeological Museum has well-displayed collections of sculptures from local ruins, Neolithic tools, 16th-century weaponry and a large floor model of the Vijayanagar ruins.
Hanuman Temple is perched on top of the prominent Anjanadri Hill. There are a lot of monkeys roaming around freely.
There is also a seven headed snake.
King Sri Krishnadevarayalu was well known Pandit (master) in sixty four various vidya's (studies) and these 64 pillars are located on his samadi (grave).
To meet contemporary needs of tourists, traditional houses in the village were converted into guest houses without disturbing its ancient look. The villagers are earning a handsome amount by renting out these houses to the tourists.
They have also set up a craft shop offering a range of items made locally using banana fibre, an Internet cafe to help visitors keep in touch with the outer world and a restaurant to treat their taste buds. Local artforms had also been revived to entertain the visitors.
Best time to visit: October to March
How to get there
Air: The nearest airstrip at Tornagallu in Sandur Taluk which is 32 kms from Hospet. Bangalore based air-charter operator, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd (TAAL), has launched sightseeing charter flights to Hampi and Mysore in Oct 2002. Contact Anjan Rao at 98440-27699 for further details.
The second nearest airport is Bellary (74 kms)
Other convenient airports are at Belgaum (190 kms) and Bangalore (353 kms).
Rail: Hospet is the nearest railway station (13 kms). Hospet is linked by rail to Bangalore, Bijapur,Hubli and Guntakal. Book your train ticket online .
Road: Hampi is 350 kms from Bangalore. KSRTC Buses ply regularly from Hospet.
