Stepped tank and Public bath, Hampi

Hampi is said to be the second largest city in the world when Vijayanagara was at its zenith. The city was known for its markets which means the city population was considerable. Hampi was designed to cater to such demands with its advanced canal systems, large & small water tanks including troughs for animals. Here's a list of prominent Pushkarni-

1. Manmatha Pushkarni next to Virupaksha Devastana
2. Pushkarni of the courtesan street
3. Vittala Devastana Pushkarni 
4. Krishna Bazaar Pushkarni 
5. Pattabhirama Devastana Pushkarni 
6. Pushkarni near Mahanavami Dibba (stepped tank inside the royal enclosure)
7. Paan-Supari Bazar Pushkarni (small stepped tank)
8. Yellamma Devastana Pushkarni (small tank)

Apart from the Pushkarnis, there are bath houses and water pavilions such as-

1. Queen's bath house
2. Octagonal water pavilion
3. Public bath in the royal enclosure

Of all the Pushkarnis, the stepped tank in the royal enclosure is the most attractive one. The square tank with its pyramidal steps is indeed a sight to behold. This tank was discovered in mid 1980s. Prior to the discover, the tank was completely buried. Wondering if the tank was filled up deliberately before the Muslim invasion of 1565.

The previous picture was shot in Dec-2013 and the second picture was shot in July-2017. I would like the readers to see both states- empty and filled. In plan the tanks is a square measuring approximately 64' x 64', it has five tiers, each tier connected to the next tier by pyramidal steps. The first tier has 9 sets of steps on each side, the subsequent tiers have 7, 5,3 and 1. The total number sets comes to 100.

The same view with water. The dark stone makes the water appear dark and reflects the sky like a mirror. Try to imagine the tank when water is filled to the brim. This tank being close to Mahanavami Dibba was specially made for religious events. It is said that Teppotsava was held in this tank. That would be possible when the water level is right up to first tier. When its half filled, imagine this sight- a dark night, no moon, oil lamps on the pyramidal steps.. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 lamps.. that would be 25 lamps per pyramid.. 74 pyramids.. totally 1850 oil lamps glowing together. What a glorious sight that would be!

The central steps are slightly wider than the others. When the water level is low or empty, anyone wishing to climb down can take the central steps. During rainy season, one needs to be super careful here.

There's more this stepped tank. If you look carefully, there are Kannada letters and numerals etched on the blocks. I would like to quote a paragraph from The Talkative Man about this structure: Each stone used for the construction has numerals, symbols and Kannada letters on it. For example letters u, da, tu and pa represent north (uttara), south (dakshina), east (turpu), and west (paschima). In five stages there are 36 steps and each step has been assigned a Kannada letter beginning from tna upto jna and ti. In addition to these numerals and Kannada letters some symbols also have been used, according to the four directions. Another interesting feature is the mark of measurement through symbols. Thus the stepped tank (pushkarini) is not only beautiful and elegant but also supplies the technical methodology adopted by the architects to transplant it from the workshop to the spot of the tank. Clever technique by ancient builders.

The aqueduct which supplies water to this tank and also another tank in the vicinity which is said to be a public bath. A short branch of the aqueduct slopes towards the tank, that's where falls into the tank. I guess the tank had a run off to prevent spill over.

 Right besides the aqueduct is an open well or it could be a small tank. The pillars flanking the well are notched at the top. Ends of an wooden shaft would fit into the notches, a pulley would be fixed on the shaft to draw out water.

A peek into the aqueduct. Made of granite, each block is 9 to 12 feet long and raised on granite columns The joints were sealed with mortar to prevent leakage. There must've been a maintenance team to monitor the function of the waterways.

Stone's throw from the stepped tank is rectangular water tank called as the Public Bath. The royal enclosure had palaces and audience halls. Also in the neighborhood is the noblemen's quarters. So the idea of having a bath here is convenient for the population of these two enclosures. The floor of the tank is plastered with mortar. So this served as a swimming pool as well. At the far end of this tank is a four pillared mantapa on a platform.

The mantapa must be for performing rituals like Linga poojae or Sandhya Vandane. A steep flight of steps descends into the tank. Also next to it is an arrangement to draw water using rope.

Before closing this post, I would like to mention a water trough between the audience hall and Hazara Rama Devastana. The trough is approximately 42 feet long and 2 feet wide. I guess it was meant for horses.

There could be many more monuments hidden in the ground waiting to be discovered.
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