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| Badami |
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Places To See
| Around Badami |
How To Get There
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Badami Caves
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1km, this group of 4 cave temples have been carved out of the hill opposite Badami fort. The Chalukyan king, Mangalesa(598-610)AD)was responsible for the completion of these cave temples. Of the four, three are Brahmanical, while the fourth is Jain. Nearly 2000 steps have to be climbed to reach the cave.
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Cave I
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This is Shaivite cave. The important carvings in this cave are an 18-armed dancing Shiva, a two-handed Ganesha, Mahishasura Mardini, Ardha Nareeshwara & Shankarnarayana. The ceiling is adorned by a serpent motif & other carved figures
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Cave II
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This cave has Vaishnavite influence with panels of Trivikrama & Bhuvaraha. On the ceilings are carvings of Anantasayana, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva &other Ashtadikpalas.
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Cave III
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Another flight of steps takes one to the third cave which is the largest & the best of the lot. This cave has carvings pertaining to both Shaivite & Vaishnavite themes. Panels of Trivikrama, Narasimha, Shankaranarayana, Bhuvaraha, Anantasayana & Harihara are engraved in a vigorous style. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in 578 AD. There are some fine bracket figures on the pillars of this cave.
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Cave IV
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Lying to the east of cave three, the fourth cave is Jain. There is an image of Mahavira adorning the sanctum. Other carvings here are of Padmavathi & other Thirthankaras. Asteep climb up some steps cut in a crevice between Cave II & III leads to the southern part of Badami Fort & to an old gun placed there by Tippu Sultan.
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Badami Fort
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2 Kms. Strategically situated on top of the hill, the fort encloses large granaries, a treasury impressive temples on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya, perhaps the oldest temple of the lot, is dedicated to the benign aspect of Shiva as the garland maker. Placed on the summit of a rocky hill, the temple is built of stone, finely joined without mortar, & with Dravidian tower. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower of which only the sanctum remains now.
There are some more temples in Badami town & several of them dotting the banks of a well-built tank locally called the Agasthya Tirtha.
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Museum & Art Gallery
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A sculpture gallery is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India on the Bhutanatha Temple Road.
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