Badami (Karnataka)

The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, Badami is famous for its cave temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.

Badami is an interesting place to visit in Karnataka what with its artificial lake, ancient temples, Museum and Hindu and Jain caves carved in the Sandstone hills. The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.

Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples. The main attractions of Badami are the caves found there.

Population: 19.982 (1991)

Best time to visit: October to February

Places of Interest

The First Cave
The first cave made of red sandstone; dates back to 578 A.D. and was probably the first to be carved. One has to climb up 40 odd steps to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.

Column shafts are masterfully crafted. On the ceiling one can see the paintings of amorous couples. Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a coiled serpent. The 18-armed lord Nataraja can be seen in 81 dancing poses.

The Second Cave
Dedicated to lord Vishnu depicted here as a dwarf or 'Trivikrama' of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth and the other the sky, the second cave is atop a sandstone hill.

Vishnu here is depicted as a dwarf or. Another form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha' or as a boar. Then there is a frieze endearingly depicting Vishnu as Lord Krishna.

The Third Cave
Still going higher up one comes across this cave antedating 578 A.D. The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide; on the plinth one can see the carvings of ganas. The sheer artistry and sculptural genius makes this cave the highlight of Deccan art.

It gives a virtual insight into the art and culture of the 6th century like costumes, jewellry hairstyle lifestyle etc. The other attractions to be looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu with a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha (Vishnu as Man-Lion) Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu as Trivikrama.

The Fourth Cave
The only Jain cave, the construction of Cave four started in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the earlier three caves.

Here one can see the carvings of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha with a serpent at his feet; Mahavira in a sitting posture also can be seen in the shrine.

Bhoothnath Temple
Bhootnath is a distinct form of Lord Shiva considered as the God of souls, spirits, and ghosts. The dark sanctuary of the temple has an image of Shiva in an irate mood. The temple is situated not far away from the Agastyatirtha Tank.

Archaeological Museum
Nearby is the museum set up by the archaeological survey of India.

It houses superb examples of local sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult, which flourished in the era. A visit to the museum is sure to be a rewarding experience.

North Fort and Temples
There is an Archaeological Museum on the north side of Agasthya Lake with a good collection of sculptures from Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal, and other sites. Open daily except Fri 10 am to 5 pm.

Behind the museum there is a long stairway going up to the North Fort where there is another set of temples. There is a cannon at the south end of the fort, placed there by Tipu Sultan. You can get a good view of Badami from here.
The Upper Shivalaya Temple is an early Chalukyan temple. There are scenes from Krishna’s pastimes on the base of this temple.

Excursion

Aihole
Located at 50 km north of Badami, where one can find hotels, the Aihole village is particularly famed for its many old temples scattered in the area. It's easy to meet any young boy who will be happy to guide you from one place to another for a small tip.

The temples in Aihole are the alone remains of the powerful ancient dynasty of the Chalukya. Aihole, at that time, was their capital, known as Aryapura. Monuments have been dated from the 5 th to the 8 th centuries.

Banashankari
En route to Badami is a quaint hamlet taking its name from the goddess Banashankari. Built in the Dravidian style, the temple is dedicated to Banashankari, a form of Parvati highly revered by the weaver community. The idol depicts the powerful eight-armed goddess seated on a snarling lion. There is a large pond in front of the temple called Harida Theertha, which is enclosed on three sides by stone mantapas with inner colonnades. The annual temple festival in Banashankari is more than a religious event. During this time, the streets around the temple are taken over by a huge fair, marked by colour and gaiety and attended by thousands of devotees.

Mahakuta Temple
About ten kilometres from Badami, this temple complex, located in a valley shaded by tall trees, suggests a pleasant and contemplative atmosphere. Just behind the doorway, a beautiful Nandi faces the main Mahakuteshvarnatha temple, near a small but nice pond used by pilgrims for their sacred washings.

Various statues ornate the temple, among which two rustic Ganesh can be remarked.

Pattadakal
Located at 15 km from Badami, the Pattadakal village offers, like Aihole, a splendid set of temples built during the Chalukya Kings period. The monuments display a remarkable variety of styles, which leads to demonstrate that many craftsman came from various regions, sometimes-remote ones, to bring and perform their talents.

The Naganath Temple
Around 10 Kms East of Badami on the way to Mahakuta, the Naganath Temple is one of the early Chalukyan temples dedicated to Shiva.

How to get there

Air:
The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms).

Rail:
Badami is on the Hubli - Sholapur rail route.

Road:
Badami is connected by road to: Hubli (128 kms) Bijapur (132 kms.)