TWO SIDES

The multifaceted Hyundai Creta takes us to two very different but starkly similar UNESCO sites

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History plays a major role in how a country, kingdom, or even a carmaker is perceived. Not just legacy and good memories, it also defines, especially in the informed and aware world of today, what the future holds. Take the Group of Monuments at Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for example. The historically important collection of sites shows how a once-glorious city was turned into near ruins. Its stories, the scale of some of these monuments, and the eventual devastation caused by annexing kingdoms all form the history of this. Similarly, a few hundred kilometres southwards, the Great Living Chola Temples, has its own story, too — of how they survived various rulers and how it continues to flourish. It's like two sides of the same coin, these two UNESCO sites; one shows how a wealthy city was brought down while the other shows the propagation of arts and culture through various kingdoms. To experience the two, we drive down from Hampi to Thanjavur in a car that's not just historically relevant in the Indian car market, but is also multi-faceted, like the two sides; it is the Hyundai Creta.

At under 6 hours from Bengaluru, Hampi is a must-visit for those who love history. This was the capital city of the wealthy Vijayanagar kingdom, the last Hindu ruler of the area. And it's easy to see the wealth the moment you step into any of the monuments included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. There's a lot to see and appreciate in Hampi: from the remains of the building from the Vijayanagara era (essentially everything that's included in the UNESCO list) to Kishkindha — said to be where Lord Rama met Hanuman in the Hindu epic Ramayana. According to UNESCO, there are 1600 remains from the Vijayanagara era: complexes, forts, temples, gateways, mandapas, etc.