Former capital city of Chalukyan empire, Badami City Guide is well known for its ancient caves and temples. Picturesquely situated between two rocky hills, the city has a rich history and a unique style of architecture which is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and the South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. The beautiful sculptures and exquisite carvings on the monuments in Badami City Guide will leave all visitors awe – stuck.
Location
Formely known as Vatapi, Badami City Guide is located in the northern part of the state of Karnataka on the red sandsone ridge.
Best Time & Climate
The climate of Badami caves is temperate with summers being moderately hot while winters are cool and pleasant. The best time to visit Badami is from October to February, when the weather is cool and pleasant for Badami city guide
How to get there ?
» By Air- The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms).
» By Rail - Badami is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route. The nearest railhead is at Badami City Guide, which is 4 km from Badami caves town.
» By Road - Badami is connected by road to Hubli (128 kms), Bijapur (132 kms) and Banglore (550kms).
Must Visit
» Cave Temples - Badami is famous for its four caves which are carved out of red sandstone on the palisade of the hill.Flamboyantly carved with figures of Hindu deities, these temples date back to the 600 and 700 A.D. Two of the Badami caves are dedicated to Lord Vishnu,one to Lord Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple.
»Bhutanatha Temples - The two lakeside Bhutanatha temples lend their name to the lake just beneath the cave temples.The two Shiva temples deify him as Bhutanatha, God of Souls
» The Archeological Museum - The archeological museum houses some of the finest examples of sculpture collected locally is worth a visit.
» Aihole - 43 kms from Badami, this village, was the Chalukya region capital between the 4th and 6th centuries.There are over 70 monuments in and around the village.
» Pattadakal - 16 kms from Badami, Pattadakal was the second capital of the Badami City Guide Chalukyans. The most interesting monument here, is the Virupaksha temple or the Lokeshwara, is an enormous structure with episodes from Hindu epics and the social life of early Chalukyans.The other temple Mallikarjuna – has sculptures depicting scenes from Bhagvad Gita, the story of Lord Krishna.
