Badami, today a sleepy little town on a red sandstone ridge, was once the capital of the great Chalukyan Empire that controlled most of peninsular India between the 4th and 8th centuries AD.The Chalukyas are credited with some of the best traditions of Dravidian architecture including an experimental blend of older South Indian temple architecture and the nagara style of north India, which passed into the Dravidian temple-building convention.
At this site you can see the finest of the early works in that style. There are ruins of temples and rock cut caves much of the exquisite sculpting has survived the two decades since Badami ceased to be the administrative centre of the kingdom. Badami was the capital from 540 to 757 AD, after which the Chalukyans lost out to the emerging power, the Rashtrakutas.
Badami saw a succession of rulers of which the Chalukyas were only the most important. There is architecture and sculpture here from periods ranging as far back as the 7th century AD Pallava rule to as recently as the 19th century Marathas.
The Station Road is the main road in Badami; the architectural complex lies to the east of it. There are four sets of caves. The oldest, Cave 1, has stunning carvings of Shiva in his Nataraja avatar, dancing the apocalyptic tandava. There are also carvings of the god in the Ardhanarishvara form where he is depicted as half man-half woman, the woman half representing his wife Parvati. Yet another carving is of Harihara, the right half of this figure depicts Shiva - the Destroyer and the left, Vishnu - the Preserver. Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated entirely to Vishnu, whereas Cave 4 is has an image of the Jain tirthankara, Adinath.
Other sites of note are the 5th century Agastyatirtha Tank, the fort and the Bhutanath temples. The local archaeological museum has some fine specimens of carvings from the area including a collection of Lajja-Gauri images. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Friday.
Getting There:There are buses to Badami from Bijapur, Bangalore, Hubli, Gadag and Ilkal. The trains that arrive at the small Badami station are all II-class passenger trains. There are railway services from Gadag from where you can get a connection to the bigger cities of hospet and Hubli, and from Bijapur, which is on the Mumbai - Secuderabad - Chennai main line.
Accommodation:Most hotels are located on the arterial Station Road. The town has everything from the very basic in tourist accommodation (Rs. 100 single rooms) to the one luxury hotel (prices in the range of Rs 1500 - 2000). Most hotels are in the middle-budget category and these will charge upwards of Rs. 200 for a double-room with attached bath.
Getting Around:Local buses, taxis, auto rickshaws and horse-drawn tongas fulfil the visitor’s ‘getting around’ needs. One can rent bicycles from the many cycle-stalls on Station Road. Buses to nearby Pattadakal and Aihole are frequent. The first is a mere half an hour by bus from Badami while the second takes a two-hour journey. Keep in mind that the last bus back from Aihole leaves around 4:30 pm and the last buses from Pattadakal are at about 6 pm. You could alternatively hire a cab for the trip. It is possible to visit both these historical sites on a one day outing if you leave Badami early enough in the morning.
City Getaways:Two hours by road from Badami, Aihole used to be the regional capital of the Chalukyan kings between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. Anyone who is interested in temple architecture should head for Aihole. From the earliest buildings that are characterised by simplicity of design to later intricate structures like the Meguti Temple, the evolution of the Dravidian style is apparent in the various architectural styles of the Aihole ruins. The earlier styles are well represented in the Gandar, Ladkhan, Hucchapaya and Kontigudi temple complexes, while the Jain Meguti temple and the impressive 7th century Durga Temple are samples from a later date.
Accommodation is available at a local guesthouse but hardly anyone stays over at Aihole.
Pattadakal, half an hour from Badami, is a little village now but it was at one time the second most important city of the Chalukyas and the site of royal ceremonies like coronations. The ruins at Pattadakal date from the 4th century to the 9th. The majority of the work is from the 7th and 8th centuries AD though. Pattadakal is also an important site for the study of the development of temple architecture in South. Don’t miss the ornate Virupaksha Temple, the Mallikarjuna Temple and the Papanath Temple. If you’re in Pattadakal towards the end of January, there’s every chance you’ll catch the annual classical dance festival held here.
At this site you can see the finest of the early works in that style. There are ruins of temples and rock cut caves much of the exquisite sculpting has survived the two decades since Badami ceased to be the administrative centre of the kingdom. Badami was the capital from 540 to 757 AD, after which the Chalukyans lost out to the emerging power, the Rashtrakutas.
Badami saw a succession of rulers of which the Chalukyas were only the most important. There is architecture and sculpture here from periods ranging as far back as the 7th century AD Pallava rule to as recently as the 19th century Marathas.
The Station Road is the main road in Badami; the architectural complex lies to the east of it. There are four sets of caves. The oldest, Cave 1, has stunning carvings of Shiva in his Nataraja avatar, dancing the apocalyptic tandava. There are also carvings of the god in the Ardhanarishvara form where he is depicted as half man-half woman, the woman half representing his wife Parvati. Yet another carving is of Harihara, the right half of this figure depicts Shiva - the Destroyer and the left, Vishnu - the Preserver. Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated entirely to Vishnu, whereas Cave 4 is has an image of the Jain tirthankara, Adinath.
Other sites of note are the 5th century Agastyatirtha Tank, the fort and the Bhutanath temples. The local archaeological museum has some fine specimens of carvings from the area including a collection of Lajja-Gauri images. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Friday.
Getting There:There are buses to Badami from Bijapur, Bangalore, Hubli, Gadag and Ilkal. The trains that arrive at the small Badami station are all II-class passenger trains. There are railway services from Gadag from where you can get a connection to the bigger cities of hospet and Hubli, and from Bijapur, which is on the Mumbai - Secuderabad - Chennai main line.
Accommodation:Most hotels are located on the arterial Station Road. The town has everything from the very basic in tourist accommodation (Rs. 100 single rooms) to the one luxury hotel (prices in the range of Rs 1500 - 2000). Most hotels are in the middle-budget category and these will charge upwards of Rs. 200 for a double-room with attached bath.
Getting Around:Local buses, taxis, auto rickshaws and horse-drawn tongas fulfil the visitor’s ‘getting around’ needs. One can rent bicycles from the many cycle-stalls on Station Road. Buses to nearby Pattadakal and Aihole are frequent. The first is a mere half an hour by bus from Badami while the second takes a two-hour journey. Keep in mind that the last bus back from Aihole leaves around 4:30 pm and the last buses from Pattadakal are at about 6 pm. You could alternatively hire a cab for the trip. It is possible to visit both these historical sites on a one day outing if you leave Badami early enough in the morning.
City Getaways:Two hours by road from Badami, Aihole used to be the regional capital of the Chalukyan kings between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. Anyone who is interested in temple architecture should head for Aihole. From the earliest buildings that are characterised by simplicity of design to later intricate structures like the Meguti Temple, the evolution of the Dravidian style is apparent in the various architectural styles of the Aihole ruins. The earlier styles are well represented in the Gandar, Ladkhan, Hucchapaya and Kontigudi temple complexes, while the Jain Meguti temple and the impressive 7th century Durga Temple are samples from a later date.
Accommodation is available at a local guesthouse but hardly anyone stays over at Aihole.
Pattadakal, half an hour from Badami, is a little village now but it was at one time the second most important city of the Chalukyas and the site of royal ceremonies like coronations. The ruins at Pattadakal date from the 4th century to the 9th. The majority of the work is from the 7th and 8th centuries AD though. Pattadakal is also an important site for the study of the development of temple architecture in South. Don’t miss the ornate Virupaksha Temple, the Mallikarjuna Temple and the Papanath Temple. If you’re in Pattadakal towards the end of January, there’s every chance you’ll catch the annual classical dance festival held here.
