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Badami

BADAMI

It is one of the specially fascinating places in the South . Pattadakal and Aihole nearby are also worth seeing. Unspoiled by tourism because of bad roads and poor accommodation one should take a train to Sholapur then change to a local train via Bijapur. Hire a tonga from the station into the city to enjoy the beautiful tree-lined roads.This is a small town of 20,000 people. In the 6th-8th centuries it was the capital of the Chalukya dynasty and was called Vadapi. Along with Aihole this is the place where the origins of south Indian architecture can be seen. A large man-made lake has rocky mountains on three sides. The town is spread over plains on the fourth side. There is fort on the mountains. Ancient stone temples blend with the north and southern mountains they are built on. Bhutanath Temple on the other side of the lake looks it is floating on the water. The evening view is unforgettable. It looks like a painting of India in the Middle Ages.

MALEGITTI SHIVALAYA TEMPLE (7TH C/ HINDU)
There are three Shiva temples in this area called upper, lower and Malegitti Shiva Temples. It is one of the temple groups of the early ages built with stones from the caves and is influenced by the Palllava style of the same age. Malegitti Temple is comparatively well preserved. It is very proportionate, with the mandapa and shrine design and has a small porch in front.

BHUTANATHA GROUP (7TH ,11TH C/ HINDU)

The Bhutanath group of temples at the far end of the tanks vary in time and style. Temple 1 with a veranda extending ti the water surface is like the Malegathi temple. The shikhara could be north Indian or early south Indian as in the Mahabalipuram Shore Temples, built close to the water. Temple 2 on the otherside sports a Vimana the early Chalukya style.

CAVE TEMPLE (6TH C/ HINDI, JAIN)


There are four cave temples on the mountains in the south. Three are Hindu while the fourth is jain. They are the oldest Hindu Temples in the South. Cave Temples 1 is dedicated to shiva and Temple 2 to Vishnu. The walls are filled with Lively sculpture. All the caves have pillared halls with the shrine at the far end. The direction of the beam in Cave1 is parallel to the facade. In Cave2 it is vertical and in cave 3 it is in the shape of the cave and thus all three caves are different. The jain temple is the smallest and has status of thirthankaras.

BANASHANKARI TEMPLE (HINDU)
Banashankari village is 6 km from Badami on the way to Gadag. There is a tank with a surrounding corridor and a temple with black goddesses deified in it. Near the tank is a rare watchtower that reflects the Vijayanagara Hindu and Islamic style. Not only the tower on top , but also the whole building is called the "victory tower". It may belong to the Maratha age.

TAJ BAORI (TANK)(1620/ ISLAMIC)
It is the biggest reservoir in the city, different from the step-wells and tanks in the west India. It is rectangular with steps going down, right and left, from the middle. The rear has terrace. On the other side it has buildings facing the road. In the middle is an Iwan with a ball-dome on its left and right and on both sides of this are rest-rooms; it must have been a caravan sarai.

JOR GUMBAZ ( TWO SISTERS) (ISLAMIC)

There are 4 tombs in the garden but it is called 2 tombs. The Octagonal structure is the tomb of Han Mohammed. It is said that he was killed by treachery. The engravings around the eves are beautiful. Eight small domes, in true Bijapur style, surround the big dome. Which again is surrounded by 8 smaller domes.


GOL GUMBAZ (1659/ ISLAMIC)
Muhammed Adil Shah II, who succeeded Ibrahim II, designed a tomb himself, that was very different from the tomb that were built before. He selected a big tract of land on the east side of the fort far away from the street and made a square garden inside the gate. Here he built a tomb, 46m long on the side. On the four corners a seven-storied shaft was built and a dome 36m in diameter was built on top. There is no buttress taking the pressure of this biggest dome in India. It just stands on the four sturdy walls. The heights of the ceiling is 50m. The space inside has no pillars and is devoid of decorations. At the base of the dome are balconies from where important personalities could look into the tomb.

Badami Nearest Attraction
Aihole Historical
Once the capital of the early Chalukyan dynasty (6th to 8th centuries), Aihole is a picturesque village on the banks of the Malaprabha river. Variously called Ayyavole & Aryapura in the inscriptions, Aihole is historically famous as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture.....more
Badami Historical
Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a taluk in the Bagalkot District of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples.....more
Pattadakal Historical
Pattadakal: Situated on the left bank of the Malaprabha River, Pattadakkal is a World Heritage Centre. The town has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. Located on the banks of the river Malaprabha, Pattadakal is the capital of the Chalukya rulers.....more