Badami
Badami
also has eighteen inscriptionsranging from the sixth to the sixteenth century.
After you have exclaimed over the beautiful sculptures and admired the exquisite
carvings, stop by at the museum set up by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Rock-cut cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions, sculptures that seem to
come alive under your eyes… Badami has to be seen to be believed. Climb
a flight of steps to reach the ancient caves all hewn out of sand stone on the
precipice of a hill. The capital of the Early
Chalukyas, Badami (also
known as Vatapi), is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a Ravine between
two rocky hills.
There are four caves here. The first three belong to
the Vedic faith
and the fourth cave is the only
Jain temple in Badami. Enter the first
cave temple past Shiva's door keepers and there he is ! The eighteen armed Nataraja
stricking 81 dance poses !
The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.
Here are some splendid carvings of the Hindu Pantheon. Narasimha the half-man
half Lion avatar of Vishnu Hari Hara, the composite god who is half-Shiva and
half-Vishnu. Vishnu Narayana sitting as well as reclining on the snake Shesh
or Ananta (Eternity )… There are also some painting on the ceiling and
wonderful bracket figures on the piers. A little to the east of this shrin,
on top of a cliff is a Jain temple. Here you will find many Jain deities and
a huge figure of
Parshwanatha. Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir
dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanatha
temples that lend their name to the lake just beneath the cave temples.
Take a dip in this green tranquil lake. It is said to have healing properties.
According to a popular story, King Kushataraya was cured of leprosy here.
Languages Spoken: Kannada, Hindi, English.
Best Time To Visit: Anytime from October to February.
How to Reach Badami
By Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 km).
By Rail: Badami is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route.
By Road: Badami is connected by road with Hubli (128 km), Bijapur (163
km) and Bangalore (550 km).
