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Badami, the one time capital of the Chalukyas , is noted several temples, some structural & other rock-cut, of the 6th & 7th Centuries. The foundations of Badami, or Vatapi as it was called, were laid by Pulakeshi I (535 - 566 AD) his son Kirtivarman, the Ist (567 - 598 AD), beautified the town with temples & other buildings. 
Caves of Badami 

Mangalesha (598 - 610 AD) brother of Kiritavarman I completed the construction of the cave temples & endowed the temples with the village on the occasion of the installation of the image of Vishnu. The greatest ruler of the dynasty was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD) who among others defeated the Pallava King Mahendra Verman I. The Pallava later captured & destroyed Badami to avenge their defeat Badami was also in the possession of the Vijayanagar Kings, The Adil Shahis, The Savanur Nawabs, The Marathas, Hyder Ali & finally the British who made it part of the Bombay Presidency. 

Aihole 
46 Kms. There is a remarkable group of temples here built during the reign of Chalukyan rulers, dating from the sixth to the eighth centuries.

Banashankari 
50 Kms, the temple, dedicated to Banashankari or Shakambari - a form of Parvati - is located at Cholachigud popularly called Banashankari. Originally built by the late Chalukyas of Kalyan, the present temple belongs to the 17th Century. The icon of goddess is made of black stone and is seated as a lion, trampling the demon with her foot. The temple is built in the Dravidian style. There is a large pond in front of the temple called Harida Tirtha - a corruption of Harishchandra Tirtha. This goddess is the beloved of the weaver community. A fair & festival is held here in January - February.

Guledgud 
24 Kms Guledgud meaning "emigrants" hill came to be so called after emigrants came & settled here beside a hill. Singappa Naik Desai, an officer of Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur, built a fort here in 1580. The present town was built at the site of dry lake in 1705. The place was occupied by Mughals. By Tippu Sultan in 1787, followed by the Marathas & finally by the British in 1826. There are several temples & a darga of Sayyad Basha.

Lakkundi 
82 Kms, about 12 Kms south-east of Gadag, Lakkundi is a place of antiquarian interest with as many as 50 temples & 29 inscriptions, spread over the period of the later Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Seunas & the Hoysalas. A great center of Chalukyan art, there are several temples of note here. Among them Kasi Vishwanatha is the most ornate & elaborately furnished. There is also a Jain Temple dedicated to Mahavira, the largest & oldest shrines at Lakkundi. Lakkundi is also noted for its steep wells, artistically built with small canopied niches inside the walls of the wells enshrining lingas. There is sculpture gallery maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Mahakuta 
14 Kms, once a great center of shaiva cult, Mahakuta is a beautiful place surrounded by hills. The Mahakuteshwara temple dedicated to Shiva, is built in the Dravidian style. There are several small shrines around it with a wealth of carvings on the walls. There are few other Shiva temples in Mahakuta dating back to the days of the Chalukyas, This place is often called Dakshina Kasi because of its religious sanctify.

Naganath Temple 
10 Kms, located in a forest on the way to Mahakuta, it is one of the early Chalukyan temples dedicated to Shiva.

Air :The nearest airport in Karnataka is Bangalore [502 Kms], Also Badami can be reached from Hyderabad via Raichur. 

Rail:The nearest railhead is Badami (4 Kms from Badami town) on the Hubli-Sholapur line & is connected to , Bangalore, Bagalkote & Bijapur. 

Road:Badami has convenient road connection to several important places around it. We recommend Hubli (app. 100 Kms), which has a major Railway junction apart from being one of the important cities in Karnataka. some of these are : Aihole (46 Kms), Bangalore (502 Kms), Bagalkote (66 Kms), Bijapur (132 Kms), Gadag (70 Kms), Hampi (180 Kms), Hospet (167 Kms), Hubli (97 Kms), Pattadakal (27 Kms), Panaji (284 Kms)

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