Badami, the one time capital of the Chalukyas, is noted for its several temples, some structural & other rock-cut, of the 6th & 7th Centuries. The foundations of Badami, or Vatapi as it was called, were laid by Pulakesi I (535 - 566 AD), his son Kirthivarman the Ist (567 - 598 AD), beautified the town with temples & other buildings.

Mangalesha (598 - 610 AD), brother of Kirthivarman I completed the construction of the cave temples & endowed the temples with the village on the occasion of the installation of the image of Vishnu. The greatest ruler of the dynasty was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD) who among others defeated the Pallava King Mahendra Verman I. The Pallavas later captured & destroyed Badami to avenge their defeat. Badami was also in the possession of the Vijayanagar Kings, The Adil Shahis of Hyderabad, The Savanur Nawabs, The Marathas, Hyder Ali of Mysore & finally the British who made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

ATTRACTIONS

Badami Caves -Badami Caves is a group of 4 cave temples have been carved out of the hill opposite Badami fort. The Chalukyan king, Mangalesa (598-610 AD) was responsible for the completion of these cave temples. Of the four, three are Brahmanical, while the fourth is Jain. Nearly 2000 steps have to be climbed to reach the cave.

Cave I - This is a Shaivite cave. The important carvings in this cave are an 18-armed dancing Shiva, a two-handed Ganesha, Mahishasura Mardini, Ardha Nareeshwara & Shankarnarayana. The ceiling is adorned by a serpent motif & other carved figures.

Cave II - This cave has Vaishnavite influence with panels of Trivikrama & Bhuvaraha. On the ceilings are carvings of Anantasayana, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva & other Ashtadikpalas.

Cave III - Another flight of steps takes one to the third cave, which is the largest & the best of the lot. This cave has carvings pertaining to both Shaivite & Vaishnavite themes. Panels of Trivikrama, Narasimha, Shankaranarayana, Bhuvaraha, Anantasayana & Harihara are engraved in a vigorous style. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in 578 AD. There are some fine bracket figures on the pillars of this cave.

Cave IV - Lying to the east of cave three, the fourth cave is Jain. There is an image of Mahavira adorning the sanctum. Other carvings here are of Padmavathi & other Thirthankaras. A steep climb up some steps cut in a crevice between Cave II & III leads to the southern part of Badami Fort & to an old gun placed there by Tipu Sultan.

Badami Fort -

Strategically situated on top of the hill, the fort encloses large granaries, a treasury & impressive temples on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya, perhaps the oldest temple of the lot, is dedicated to the benign aspect of Shiva as the garland maker. Placed on the summit of a rocky hill, the temple is built of stone, finely joined without mortar & with Dravidian tower. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower of which only the sanctum remains now.

Pattadakal - World Heritage Site

Pattadakal saw the Badami Chalukya art in its full bloom. It is 22 km away from Badami. Here the best temples of the style, the Virupaksha and the Mallikarjuna are seen. These were built by the queens of Vikramaditya II (734-44) in memory of his victorious march against Kanchi, the Pallava capital, and the temples were named by them after themselves as the Lokeshwara and Trailokeshwara, which came to be known as the Virupaksha and the Mallikarjuna respectively. The two magnificent temples with their nicely engraved lively figures on walls and the massive square pillars are in sand stone. Pattadakal itself was known as Kisuvolal (`Red Town') as the sand stone here is reddish in colour.

Aihole -

Aihole is a town in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Aihole has its own historical significance and is called as cradle of Hindu rock architecture. Many temples and caves of historical importance can be found at Aihole. Over 125 temples in various styles are said to be a laboratory of experiments in rock cut architecture. It is from these temples that the Chalukyas gained their experience and went on to build the great temples of Pattadakal. It is a very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka.