New amenities to enrich the Hampi tourism experience

Bengaluru: Ensconced by rich cultural heritage, Hampi, UNESCO's World Heritage site, has been attracting domestic and international travellers. Nevertheless, its limited infrastructure development has been a cause for concern.

To address the shortage of basic amenities, the Department of Tourism has planned to build 20 "traveller nooks", aimed at enhancing accessibility and convenience at the site.

These nooks, designed with Hampi's archaeological, cultural, and natural landscape in mind, will offer facilities like drinking water, mother and child care centres, clean toilets, and information kiosks, all to improve the visitor experience.

The initiative, part of the union government’s Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme, is expected to increase annual tourist visits from 1.28 million to 2.06 million over the next five years.

Earlier this year, Bengaluru resident Ramesh AT visited Hampi and noted a significant lack of amenities, particularly access to clean drinking water and proper restrooms. “Between the Virupaksha Temple and Vijaya Vittala Temple, around 3 km, there was nowhere for tourists to stop for water or food,” Ramesh said, adding that basic amenities would make Hampi more accessible, especially for women and children.

The proposed traveller nooks are outlined in a Detailed Project Report, which categorises them into three sizes: Noble (small), Royal (medium), and Imperial (large). The report specifies eight Noble, seven Royal, and five Imperial nooks, featuring amenities such as breastfeeding and diaper-changing stations, Wi-Fi seating areas, and disabled-friendly washrooms.

Salma K Fahim, Secretary of the Department of Tourism, announced that tenders for the project would be issued within two weeks.

Rajendra KV, Director of the Tourism Department, said these facilities would be heritage-sensitive, using materials that honour Hampi’s unique architectural style.

“The development will maintain Hampi's cultural integrity while creating over 100 jobs for locals during the operation phase,” he added.