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Visit the world famous cave temples of Badami. The figure of Shiva, Vishnu and
their incarnations are more than life-size. Cave four, the last one is the
only Jain temple in Badami. Also visit the sculpture gallery. From the cave
temples-the view is a panorama of the surrounding hillocks and the lake below.
Places of Interest
Pattadakal - This village, 20 km from Badami, was the second capital of the
Badami Chalukyans. It reached the height of its glory during the 7th and 8th
Centuries when most of the temples here were built. The famous temples here
are of Papanatha.Virupaksha, Mallikarjuna and Sangameswara. The most important
monument is the Virupaksha Temple, a huge structure with sculptures that
narrate episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as throw light on
the social life of the early Chalukyans. The other main temple, Mallikarjuna,
has sculptures which tell stories from the Bhagavad Gita. There's also an old
Jain temple with two stone elephants. It's about a km from the village centre.
Pattadakal
Aihole - this village, 43 km from Badami, was the Chalukyan regional capital
between the 4th and 6th Centuries. Here you can see Hindu temple architecture
in its embryonic stage, from the earliest Ladkhan temple to the later and more
complex structures like the Kunligudi and Durgigudi temples. The Durgigudi, a
circular temple surmounted by a primitive gopuram, is particularly interesting
and probably unique in India.
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