Secrets of the Badavilinga | Evolve Back Hampi

The morning sun was hot on our backs as we made our way northwards from the most iconic sculpture in Hampi. Stepping gingerly on the hot stony temple floor was a challenge for me and my fellow adventurers but it came with its own reward. Standing alone in a less popular corner of the temple town was Badavilinga Gudi - by far one of the best kept secrets of Hampi.

Legend has it that this Shivalingam, at least 3 metres tall, was originally handcrafted from a single small stone by a peasant woman. It was blessed to grow in size as her faith would grow over the ages. In the depths of poverty she had set the lingam at the same spot it occupies today. I was both surprised and curious to find out about her story. There are many temples across India where “living stones” and “growing” Nandi idols are worshipped. But little did I expect to find one here!

The temple can be easily distinguished from the other “chariot temples” around. Though the exterior bears all the traditional motifs and marks of a 14th century Vijayanagara monument, the interiors are deceptively simple in contrast. The walls are structured plainly and the reliefs carry minimal carvings. Not tourist-friendly at all, the gates are mostly locked and only the priest is allowed to enter for abhishekam and pooja.

The absence of a roof is probably the most distinctive feature of the temple. Contrary to popular belief the stone roof had never caved in. A meticulous study of the roof reveals a hexagonal or the star-motif opening directly overhead. Is this the blueprint of a yantra, so perfectly designed - I wondered to myself as I gaped at the sunlight pouring in to perform abhishekam with light! The circular base of the structure is never left dry, they say. The placard just outside the temple clearly states that a canal brings in water from the Tungabhadra to keep the lingam submerged at all times. But when I asked the pilgrims visiting the temple, they were sure it was the river Ganga that had been invited here to grace the lingam.

A palpable magic envelopes the monument. I couldn’t help but admire how cleverly it had been built! A humble temple designed efficiently to incorporate the panchabhoota - fire/sunlight, water, wind and earth - with almost no human intervention. Unlike other structures in Hampi the Badavilinga did not suffer destruction at the hands of the invaders and neither did it crumble to ruins naturally.

Apart from divine intervention the temple has been guarded and maintained for 40 years by a priest’s unwavering dedication. The internet is flooded with photographs of this withered priest climbing the cosmic lingam for oblations.

Those who knew him have many stories to tell; mostly about how the late KN Krishna Bhat had struggled to his last day with a meagre salary as a government employee. On days when there was no money to buy flowers and samagri for the pooja, Bhat would go out of pocket to keep the rituals going. I had heard much about the magnanimity of Bhat before I came looking for his son. Raghav, the heir and present priest of the Badavilinga Gudi, is a man of few words. Besides priesthood Raghav is a treasure trove of knowledge. Fluent in French, Italian, Sanskrit and Kannada, Bhat Jr guides guests from around the world through the arteries of Hampi and does it with elan.

As he finished the Nitya Pooja and busied himself with the concluding rituals, I couldn’t help but look at the rusty lock on the gate that guards the temple. What if this tradition of worship ends with Raghav and nobody after him bothers to further the lineage? What if nobody in the future unlocks the secret of the Badavilinga?

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