Badami

Badami was the Capital of the ancient South Indian Kingdom of the Chalukyas, is located in North Karnataka near a gorgeous red sandstone ridge at a distance of about 500 km from Bangalore. Previously known as Vatapi, the city was founded in AD 543 by Pulkeshin I, the great lion king. It was their capital till AD 757 along with Aihole and Pattadakal, became a center of and famous for rock-cut temples. The architectural splendors of Badami later influenced many new architectural and sculpting traditions.

During Chalukyan Empire in 8th century and next few years the region was saw lawlessness, commotion, and demolition by the Rashtrakutas. The city was lost its importance because of its new addition. The place is very cool with pleasant climate having dry winter, good to visit in November through February. During June and July months most of the rain fall occurs.

Badami is famous for its Five Caves:

FIRST CAVE constructed in the 6th century, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, specialty is the image of Shiva with 18 arms.

SECOND CAVE was carved in AD 567 by King Kirtivarman I, dedicated to Lord Vishnu (the protector in Hindu mythology).

THIRD CAVE dates back to 578 A.D, was built by Mangalesh s dedicated to Lord Vishnu, there are images of Lord Shiva, Indra, and Lord Brahma on the ceiling. The temple is most impressive among all five caves.

FOURTH CAVE, is built in 6th century, related to the Jains, a religion the Chalukyans gave royal patronage. The cave temple has images of different Jain tirthankaras like Adinath (the first Jain tirthankara), Suparshavanath (the seventh tirthankara), and about 20 other tirthankaras.

FIFTH CAVE s dedicated to Lord Buddha. However, it is famous for architectural expressions of most of the caves are almost equal; none of them is distinctly Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain though they may have been dedicated to different sects.

Main attractions and landmarks of Badami, include cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures.

• A Buddhist cave in a natural setting that can be entered only by crawling on knees.
• The Bhutanatha temple, a small shrine, facing the lake, constructed in 5th century.
• Badami Fort situated on top of the hill.
• Many Shivalayas including the Malegitti Shivalaya with 7th century origins.
• The Dattatreya temple.
• The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century, built on a star shaped plan.
• a Dargah, a dome of an Islamic place of worship on the south fort side.
• Vista points on top of the North Fort for the view of the ancient town below.
• Temple of Banashankari, a Kuldevta (family deity) for many families, is located near Badami.
• Archaeological museum, which has collection of sculptures from Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.

Tourist places nearby Badami:

Aihole: is a little village located at a distance of 129km, completes the third dimension of Chalukyan architectural centres and is popular for Hindu Architecture in its embryonic stage. The place had a significant value during the rule of the Chalukyas. There are a number of splendidly built Hindu temples constructed in the 6th and 7th centuries. Some of the famous temples of Aihole are Lad Khan Temple, the Meguti Temple, and the Durga Temple. There is also a small museum run by the archaeological department that showcases objects found in Aihole, mostly of the Chalukyan era.

Banashankari: located at a distance of 50 km. The temple of Banashankari is dedicated to Banashankari or Shakambari, a form of Goddess Parvati. The original temple was built by the Chalukyas of Kalyan, but the present structure was built in the 17th century. The temple reflects the Dravidian style of architecture.

Mahakuta Temple: The Mahakuta Temple is situated around 14 km east of Badami and is a well-known pilgrimage place of worship. The architecture of the temple has visible influence of both northern as well as southern styles.

Pattadakal: Pattadakal was the second capital of the mighty Chalukyans. It is a place which hosted most of the important state functions at that time. Along with Badami and Aihole, Pattadakal is also a centre of Chalukyan architectural extravaganza. There are many temples here, mostly dating back to 6th and 7th centuries AD. Some of the important temples are of the Virupaksha Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, and the Papanatha Temple. Pattadakal is situated some 20 km.

Naganath Temple: Around 10 km east of Badami on the way to Mahakuta, the Naganath Temple dates back to the Chalukyan times. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.