The aqueducts and kalyanis

One of the most impressive things about Hampi is town planning. The entire city was planned, not in bits, as it is today, but as a whole. Whether it is temples or palaces, markets or houses, it has been meticulously planned and executed. Among these, the one aspect that pops out is the water supply. Hampi is located on the banks of Tungabhadra, which, even then, was a perennial river. There must have been no scarcity of water. Yet, there are aqueducts and tanks all over the place, so that the water came to the city, and the people didn’t have to go to the river for their basic needs! Most of the aqueduct is now in ruins, but portions remain, and are an impressive sight, made of stone, and connecting the major tanks with the river. You can see one such restored aqueduct in the Mahanavami Dibba complex. Nearby, in the same complex, is one of the most impressive Kalyani, or Temple Tank. There are tanks at every temple, in every complex here, but this one is special. It lay buried under the ground till the archaeologists uncovering the aqueducts chanced upon it. This stepped tank is surprisingly, and beautifully symmetrical, and is nothing like the temple tanks seen in the region. It does, however, resemble the stepped wells of northern India, and it is believed that this is the earliest example of pre-fabricated work in India. The stones were brought from elsewhere, and the tank was assembled here! It was no mean feat, especially a thousand years ago!! The importance given to the water and water management system are a glowing example of the efficiency of the Vijayanagar Empire, and the importance it gave to its citizens.