Badami | Mahakuta | Pattadakal | Aihole | The High Roads 4K

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Banashankari temple is situated in the town of Badami in Bagalkot district of Northern Karnataka. The temple dates back to 7th Century AD and was built by the Chalukyas Kings of Kalyani. The temple is built in the Dravidian temple architectural style. Goddess Banashankari who is also known as Goddess Shakhambari is worshipped by many devout from Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Mahakuta group of temples is located at a distance of about 7 kms from Badami. The temple complex date back to 6th and 7th century AD and were constructed by the early kings of Badami Chalukyas. It is interesting to note that these temples are built in both Dravida and Nagara temple architectural styles. The centre of the temple complex is adorned with a pushkarani or a pond which is fed by a natural mountain spring all through the year. Although Mahakuta group of temples houses a living temple of the deity Mahakuteshwara, most other parts of the temple complex face abject negligence. We were really saddened to see monuments of such immense historic and architectural importance not being protected and conserved by the ASI.

Pattadakal group of temples is the crown jewel of the Chalukya architecture. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a testimony to the mastery and sophistication achieved in temple architecture under the Chalukyas. One finds Hindu and Jain temples in both Dravida and Nagar styles here.

The dravida style temples typically have a tiered tower over the shrine which is capped with a dome like structure. The nagara style temples, on the other hand, use a curvilinear tower over the shrine which has a square plan, and is capped by a ribbed stone. The temples built in this region have their own indigenous style and over a period of time one can see a development of a hybrid style. This is considered unique to Karnataka and marks the beginning of the Vesara style of temple architecture. And therefore, temples of Badami-Pattadakal- Aihole region hold a unique place in Hindu temple architecture in India.

Aihole is located at a distance of about 13 kms from Pattadakal. At first, the village might seem like any other tranquil village of North Karnataka but what awaits you is something extraordinary. Aihole is famously known as the ‘Cradle of temple architecture’ and the reason for this name is really intriguing. Aihole comprises of 125 temples and under the patronage of the Chalukya kings Aihole had developed as a school of temple architecture where sculptors and architects would train. Every temple in Aihole is unqiue in its style, architecture and theme. These were probably built as pilot works in small scale before the final execution or student projects before their final examination.

One finds interesting names such as Lad Khan temple and Hucchimalli temple which have no relevance to the temple itself or the deity inside. These names apparently were given by the British. The British surveyors who, shall we say due to their lack of understanding about Hindu temples or lack imagination, or both, decided to name the temples after the people who were occupying and residing in the place. And did you know that the most iconic structure of Aihole, the Durga temple, by its appearance and architecture is believed to be a Buddhist chaitya. Because of its location close to the fortress wall the temple was called as the Durgada gudi which in Kannada means temple inside or near the fortress. And the British surveyors decided to write it down as Durga Temple.

Most people speak basic Hindi and English in all places. Certified tourist Guides are available in all places and it is advisable to avail their services to enjoy and learn about the place better.

Pictures and videos shot using –
Google Pixel 4a, iPhone 11, a tripod & a monopole.

Things we carried:
Reusable water bottle
Comfortable footwear suitable for walking and warm weather
Comfortable clothing suitable for temple visit and warm weather
hat/cap as the days are usually sultry in Bagalkot
umbrella and sun glasses
Some dry snacks. There are not many good restaurants near Mahakuta, Pattadakal and Aihole.
Badami you can find some good restaurants.

We did not use any one time use plastic, polythene covers.

Always, LEAVE THE PLACE CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT.

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