The capital of the mighty Badami Chalukyas might have shrunk into a few scenic square kilometres in terms of touristy value. But Badami still retains its majesty. The locale of its famous cave temples, made up of two giant sandstone hills that flank the placid water of the Agastya Lake paint a stark picture of earthy reds, muddy greens and stone browns set against a sky of acrylic blue – burning an impression into the canvas of your mind. One that you aren’t likely to forget in a hurry.
Picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills,the exquisite sculptures and the rust red sandstone cliffs of Badami tell many a tale of yore.Climb a flight of steps to reach the four ancient rock-cut caves replete with carved pillars and bracket figures,all hewn out of red sandstone,on the precipice of a hill.The largest of them is the third cave,dedicated to Lord Vishnu.The first sculptural embellishment to dazzle the eyes of a visitor is the 18 armed Nataraja,striking 81 dance poses,in the first cave.The caves overlook the AgastyaTheerthaTank,its bank dotted with a cluster of Bhoothanatha temples.
North Fort
An arduous climb through a stone chasm and fortified gateways takes you to the temples,the remains of a granary,a treasury and a watchtower on top of the fort.The Upper Shivalaya Temple still has some friezes and sculptors depicting legends relating to Lord Krishna.Perched on a rock,theMalegattiShivalaya is an excellent example of the ancient southern style of architecture.
Aihole – Badami – Pattadakal
Bright yellow sunflower fields, red-ochre sandstone outcrops and cobalt blue skies. The journey to the Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal belt is a painting in the primary colours. The road to the past is nothing short of spectacular. Aihole has to be god’s collection of temple prototypes. Believed to be the cradle of Dravidian temple architecture, Aihole’s temple compendium spans styles and centuries, some as early as the 5th century – and some, like the Durga Temple is built on design that is seen nowhere else in the country. The Badami Chalukyas first had their capital at Aihole before they moved to Badami and its justified in resting on its ancient laurels. For, Aihole has a lot of ancient laurels. Pattadakal, similarly, has a finger lodged in the book of time – when it was the place where kings were coronated. A little away from Aihole, Pattadakal stands like an island of majesty – just like its name suggests: pattadakallu translating into coronation stone. A complex of eight temples, each one commemorates a landmark event in the history of the Chalukyas, which in turn was one of South India’s most vibrant dynasties. The Malaprabha River flows by both Aihole and Pattadakal, a silent witness now as it was then.
Peeking from crags high above are the remnants of what look like watch towers. You never know what you might encounter in the thick shrub undergrowth. Leopards have been known to pay unwelcome visits to the nearby villages to drag cattle away. Just a few kilometres apart, Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami can be covered in a day – a day well spent, at that! Badami is a snapshot of the past, where the elements, both natural and man made, have been fixed in a tableau as if afraid to move on from a love affair that’s well and over now. The love affair being, the glory days of the Badami Chalukyas who’d moved their capital to Badami in the apogee of their run as a dynasty. Karnataka is a rambling old storyteller, and the most exquisite stories it has. Every place is steeped in legend and myth, and Badami with the Agastya Lake flanked by two rocky, almost-rectangular sandstone hills represent the Sage Agastya and the two ill-behaved demons, Vatapi and Ilvala. It’s a steep climb up to its rock-cut cave temples. The four temples which are hewn into a rock, one level above the other, has the most exquisite carvings from the Hindu myths and the top most one, dedicated to the Jain faith, has iconography representing the tirthankaras who’re considered the pillars of the faith. The view from here in the evenings is the stuff of epics. And yet, it pales in comparison with the one from the North Fort, which lies on the opposite hill. Man-made as it might be, the Agastya Lake has an untouched air about it, made complete by the brown sandstone Bhootanatha Temples that stand on its edge like ephemeral maidens, who might vanish any moment – so beautiful, that they’re almost a mirage. Dedicated to the god of spirits and ghosts, the beauty of the Bhootanatha Temples glistening like a fleeting apparition in the dusk will haunt for a long, long time after you’ve left Badami.
