Pattadakal

Pattadakal is a small village in Bagalkot District in the state of Karnataka, and is essentially famous for the various ancient temples it hosts. In 1987, the many temples around the village were declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The temples at site were mostly built during the 8^th century. You can find a good mix of both Dravadian as well as Nagara style of architecture. There are a total of 10 temples that include Jain Sanctuaries. 4 of these temples clearly adhere by the Dravadian style and 4 by Nagara style. The remaining two are a mix of both.

While nine of these temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva, one is a Jain Temple. Built mostly in the Chalukya style, the walls of the temples are inscribed with scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Also, they are adorned in paintings of voluptuous Goddesses, demons, fighting armies of men and more.

The biggest and most famous temple in Pattadakal is the Virupaksha Temple that is believed to have been built by the Queen of Vikramaditya to adulate his victory over the Pallavas. Initially the temple was called Lokamahadevi, but presently is most famous as the Virupaksha Temple.

It is at the end of this temple that you see a large statue of the Nandi Bull carved in stone. Every year at the end of January, a dance program is organized here, and visitors get a chance to take a close look and learn about the traditions of the regional people and their history.

The construction of many temples as you will observe has not been completed, and yet they look marvelous. They demonstrate how advanced the ancient Indian dynasties were with their construction techniques that have stood the tests of time, and emerged as legendary monuments worth cherishing.