Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It is
believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone (badam - Almond). Badami
is famous for its sandstone cave temples. Landmarks in Badami include cave
temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures.
The Cave Temples of Badami consist of four
separate temples, each holding intricate carvings and depictions. These
carvings depict Shiva and Vishnu in various avatars in the first 3 temples,
representing the Brahmanical style. The fourth temple is dedicated to Jain
Tirthankaras.
Cave temple 1 may be the
oldest in Badami. It is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous
pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall. There
are paintings of amorous couples on the ceiling. Other features include Shiva and
his wife Parvathi with a coiled serpent and the 18 armed lord Nataraja in 81
dancing poses.
Cave temple 2 is
dedicated to Vishnu (as Trivikrama) with one foot mastering the
Earth and the other the sky. Vishnu is also portrayed as Varaha and Krishna.
Cave temple 3 dates back
to 578 AD. The façade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, with carvings of ganas on the plinth. It
contains examples of Deccan art, illustrating the culture and
clothing of the 6th century. There are high relief carvings of Vishnu with a
serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha, Varaha, Harihara and
Trivikrama.
Cave temple 4 relates to
6th century Jainism. There is a carving of the Tirthankara Parshvanatha (with
a serpent at his feet). Mahavira is depicted in a sitting posture.
Tourism Badami Cave-I the first shrine has at its entrance Shiva’s door
keepers; to the right inside is the figure of Shiva of about five feet height
and in the tandava dancing pose with 18 arms. Beside him are Nandi, dancing
Ganapati, etc. There is a neatly carved perfect figure of Mahishasuramardini
and several other rock –cut dwarf images of kubja ganas, Nagaraja or snake
king, Vidhyadhara couple, etc., are on the ceiling.
Agastya Lake
Said to possess healing powers, this lake faces all
the caves of Badami and is surrounded by the red sandstone temples.
Bhuthanatha Temple
On the north hill, there are
three temples, of which Malegitti-Shivalaya is perhaps the oldest temple and
also the finest in Badami, and has a Dravidian tower. Out of the two
inscriptions found here, one states that Aryaminchi upadhyaya, as the sculptor who
got this temple constructed and the other dated 1543 speaks of the erection of
a bastion during the Vijayanagara rule. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian
tower, and only the sanctum remains now.
Badami Fort
The fort was built by Tipu Sultan in the
18th century. Perched on the top of a cliff, this fort is accompanied by two
Shiva temples dating back to the 5th century. A 16th century and a 14th century
watchtower are also featured atop this hill. It is a steep climb with many
view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut
stone, the same that adores all the architecture around
Banashankari Temple Overview
Banashankari temple, also
known as Banashankari Amma temple, is located at Cholachagudd near Badami, in
Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is counted amongst the most popular shrines
in Karnataka dedicated to the Hindu mythology. There are several stories and
beliefs that revolve around the temple regarding its construction, history, and
culture. However, the most interesting fact about this temple is that the people
worship 'Rahukala' which is considered inauspicious as per Hindu culture. The
devotees pray to Rahukala to let go of all the miseries, poverty and
inauspiciousness from their life.
Jambhulinga Temple
Jambulinga Temple is situated
in the town, is presumably the oldest known trikutachala temple in Karnataka.
An inscription dated 699 ascribes construction of this temple to Vinayavathi
mother of Emperor Vijayaditya. The place also has Agasthya Tirtha, temples of Goddess
Yellamma, Mallikarjuna, Datttreya and Virupaksha. Bhuthanatha group of temples
are most important in Badami.
Important things to know about
Badami.
·
A Buddhist cave in a natural setting that can be entered
only by crawling on knees.
·
The Bhootnath temple, a small shrine, facing the lake,
constructed in 5th century.
·
Upper Bhootnath Temple located opposite the Badami Caves
·
Badami Fort situated on top of the hill.
·
Many Shivalayas including the Malegatti Shivalaya with
7th century origins.
·
The Dattatreya temple.
·
The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century,
built on a star shaped plan.
·
Vista points on top of the North Fort for the view of the
ancient town below.
·
Temple of Banashankari, a Kuladevata (family
deity) for many families, is located near Badami.
·
Archaeological museum, that has collection of sculptures
from Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.
·
For Adventure Sports Toursim,contact National Rock
Climbing center,Manager Rajendra Hasabavi in Banshankari Road by General
Thimayya National Academy of Adventure.
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