UKH

I heard the terrible & depressing news today via Sharmilla at Goan Corner that their last minute Supreme Court bid to save their home has failed. 
 

The Island will be demolished within one month. Apparently the authorities want to build a luxury hotel in its place. 

It’s been on the cards for a long while now but I didn’t believe it would happen. So incredibly sad. 
 

A great injustice and very sad. There have been so many lives destroyed since the area became a UNESCO world heritage site. I hope the guest houses and restaurants can regroup nearby and continue to make a living.

That does sound like sad news. Having never been to Hampi we are actually planning a trip next year. I don't really know much about where to stay etc but what effect will this have on the community/climbing/ accommodation for climbers? (Aside from people losing their homes and businesses) 

Is this THE place to stay for climbing in the area?

Thanks in advance for any help!

https://www.deccanherald.com/state/demolish-illegal-structures-at-hampis-vi... 

Goan Corner & all the nearby guesthouses were right by all the climbing on the "island" - Virupapura Gaddi. 

Most of the guesthouses at Hampi Bazaar around the monuments & the ancient market on the other side of the river were knocked down a few years ago. There is a lot of climbing around there too but as it became difficult to get to from the island (the boats only started late and finished early) most people didn't bother anymore with that side.

You can stay in a nearby village, Anegundi which is nice but a very different vibe. There are some nice guesthouses there. It's a 15 min moped ride to the boulders, but who knows what the access will be like as you had to drive through Hippy Island to get to them!

thanks so much for that, it's really helpful

I just walked up the main drag on the island and almost all the businesses were boarded up while the police marched through with a TV crew filming all the structures. The owner of Bamboo and the guys at Golden Boulders said that the demolition is going to take place tomorrow. i.e. with two days' notice. Pretty brutal.