Badami Caves

The Bagalkot district of Karnataka is replete with ancient caves and temples. Beside the very famous Pattadakal temples, the Badami cave temples also occupy an important place when it comes to attracting tourists.

The caves consist of four caves, of which two are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one to Lord Shiva and the last one is a Jain Temple. The architectural style of the caves is mix of the South Indian Dravadian and the North Indian Nagara style. There are elaborate inscriptions and carvings in all four temples, depicting the lives of the deity’s they are dedicated to.

Beautifully rock cut into the cliffs of Badami, the capital of the Chalukya dynasty, these caves date back to 6^th and 8^th century. The marvel of their architecture is difficult to replicate even in the present times when technology has become rather advanced.

All the four temples are built of Badami sandstone and have four main areas in them- the sanctorum (shrine), the mandapa (main hall), the verandah and numerous pillars. The walls of these temples hold beautiful murals, sculptures, and carvings.

The first temple here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and portrays him a Natraja with eighteen arms. He’s shown dancing in 81 postures through the various carvings in the temple.

The second and third temple dedicated the Lord Vishnu; depict him as the dwarf of Trivikrama and many other forms. The last one is devoted to the Thirtahnkaras of Jainism and depicts the various philosophies about that religion.

Tourists can comfortably reach the place. The nearest city is Bagalkot, at a distance of 30km. Apart from that the nearest major city is Bangalore, which is approximately 454 km from this place. Tourists can come up to Bagalkot by train and then hire local taxis that will take you to the caves.