In Hampi, you can listen to musical pillar sounds through QR code

Tourists visiting Hampi’s famous Vijaya Vitthala Temple would no longer have to make do with marvelling at its musical pillars from a distance and not listen to their sounds.

While tapping on pillars to see them produce music was a ritual for tourists visiting the site, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restricted public access to structures after 2008 after concerns over their weakening.

Scan QR code, listen to music

To ensure that tourists don’t miss out on this unique experience anymore, the ASI has now introduced a touch-free way to listen to the music of the pillars. The ASI has introduced QR codes for 10 of the 56 pillars to make the music produced by them available to tourists.

So, a tourist can just scan the QR codes on a pillar and listen to a 25-second music clip, without actually touching it.

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“The move is also aimed at avoiding crowding in front of the monument.The department came up with the idea to allow tourists to listen to the music of the pillars without touching it. “We have recorded a demo sound from the pillar and uploaded it on our website. Now, one can listen to it, sitting anywhere in the world, using QR code, ASI’s conversation assistant in Hampi, Aniruddh Desai, told The Federal.

Also read: Why deciphering inscriptions is the first step to understanding history

What are the music pillars?

Also known as SaReGaMa pillars, the structures, situated at the Ranga Mandapa of the temple, produce musical tones when tapped.

The mandapa has a set of main pillars and smaller ones that support the former. The main pillars are designed like musical instruments – each of them is surrounded by seven small pillars which emit musical sounds.

Hampi is one of the most-visited tourist places in Karnataka.