BADAMI TOURISM | CAVE TEMPLES, PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO BADAMI

At a distance of 1 km from Badami Bus Station, Cave 1 is a rock-cut cave situated in Badami, Karnataka. It is one of the must include places in Badami Tour Packages.

Badami Caves are carved out of a mighty red sandstone hill which is on the banks of Agasthya Lake. The first cave or Cave 1 is dedicated it Lord Shiva and it represents the Brahmanical style. Built in 550 AD, the cave has an L-shaped open courtyard in front, an open verandah, a pillared hall, and a sanctum excavated into the center of its rear wall. It is one of the places to visit in Badami.

The cave is famous for its fine sculptures. The most celebrated sculpture of the cave is that of Shiva as Nataraja with 18 arms and he is seen in 81 dancing postures of Bharata Natya. Another notable sculpture of the cave is Ardhanareeswara, a composite form of Shiva & Parvathi. On the other side .....

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At a distance of 1.5 km from Badami Bus Station, Boothanatha Temple is a magnificent structure situated on the banks of Agasthya Lake past Badami Museum in Badami. It is one of the must-visit places as part of Badami Packages.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Boothanatha Temple is the most striking structure of Badami and prime promotional element of Badami Tourism. The temple is surrounded by water on three sides. The temple was constructed in the early 8th century by Chalukyas. Constructed in Dravidian style, the temple is emerged into the Agastya Lake and becomes inaccessible during peak monsoons when the water level in the lake reaches the full capacity. The temple has a pillared mukha mandapa, sabha mandapa, and inner sanctum with a Shiva image. The main temple is accompanied by several small shrines on the northern and eastern ends.

The form of Bhoothnath is said to be the combination of the God of Soul, Spirit, and the Ghost. .....

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At a distance of 1 Kms from Badami Bus Station, The Agastya Lake (Tirtha) is a huge lake located beneath the cave temples. Constructed in 5th century, the lake is considered holy due to the healing powers of its water.

The eastern banks of the Agasthya Lake are dotted with Bhoothanatha temples while the caves temples are located on South West part and the fort on North West end. According to puranas, The Pushkarini was a pleasure tank of God in Vaikunta, and is a beloved of Lakshmidevi and Bhoodevi. The Pushkarini was brought and set here by Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. A bath in it is believed to destroy all sins.

The lake is usually crowded by the village residents for washing cloths and bath. The quality of water is okay but not a good place to swim. The surroundings of the lake provide great views of the hills surrounded by the historical monuments. The Bhoothanatha temple which is emerged into the lake is a beautiful sight with a backdrop of large hillock.

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At a distance of 5 Kms from Badami, Banashankari Temple is located at Cholachagudda. Dedicated to Banashankari Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, it's one of the famous temples in the district.

The original temple was built in 8th century, believed to be by Rashtrakutas, but the present structure traces its origin in the 17th century. This temple represents a combination of Dravidian & Nagara temple architecture. Haridra Tirtha, a large temple pond with a tall lamp tower built on a three story structure is situated opposite to the entrance of the temple and it's a delight to watch. The entire pond is surrounded by a corridor built with stone.

The Goddess can be seen seated on a growling lion and crushing a demon with her foot. The idol is carved out of a black stone. The Goddess Banashankari is depicted here with eight arms sitting on a roaring lion. The temple features three large lamp polls in the main compound. These lamp polls are lit during special occasions and .....

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At a distance of 1 KM from Badami Bus Station, Cave 3 is situated few more steps above Cave 2. This is the biggest and most attractive part of all four cave temples. Dating back to 578 AD, the cave has paintings and sculptures of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

The cave can be reached through a plight of rock-cut steps and a large stone entrance. The inscriptions in this cave indicate that it was built by Mangalesha. The third cave is about 70 feet wide and it is a fine example of artwork of Badami Chalukyas. The delicate creativity and image astuteness are the prominence of the cave showcasing the ancient art. The art depicting ancient dresses, jewelry, hairstyle and the lifestyle of the glorious past will leave one mesmerize.

The sculpture of Trivikrama, a larger version of the one seen in Cave 2 is seen here. Images of Lord Vishnu manifested in many forms are seen here - Varaha, with Serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha, Vishnu as Trivikrama. The cave has wonderful bracket figures .....

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At a distance of 1 KM from Badami Bus Station, Cave 2 is situated just few meters above Cave 1 and it is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

This is the smallest of four caves at Badami. Lord Vishnu is manifested as a dwarf or Trivikrama in this cave. Lord Vishnu is seen in the position of conquering the Earth by his one foot and ruling the sky with his other foot. The entrance of the cave has two guards or dwarapalakas holding lotus in their hands. Different forms of Lord Vishnu are portrayed here. The incarnations of Lord Vishnu are carved in this cave including Varaha and Lord Krishna riding a Garuda. Another highlight of the cave is the lotus encircled by 16 fishes.

The ceiling has the carvings of Anantasayana, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva & other Ashtadikpalakas. The carving of celestial couple on the ceiling is attractive. Another puzzle like carving on the roof with couples on four sides is interesting. The wall brackets are finely carved with different puranic characters.

Timings: .....

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At a distance of 1 KM from Badami Bus Station, Cave 4 is situated towards the east of Cave 3 and it was built in the 8th century. The Cave is dedicated to Jain Thirthankaras.

The main attraction of the cave is the sculpture of Lord Mahavira adoring the shrine along with the images of Padmavathi and other Thirthankaras. Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara is depicted in a sitting posture and Tirthankara Parshwanatha is carved with a serpent at his feet.

The cave is small in size but all the corners of the cave are finely carved with different Thirthankaras of Jain faith. The pillars have fine carvings of different characters and garland shaped designs. The wall brackets and the side walls of Mahavira and Parshwanatha carvings have small carvings of interesting images.

From the location of Cave 4, you can capture a breathtaking view of Agastya Lake, Badami Fort and Badami town.

Timings: 9 AM to 5.30 PM

Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Indians, Rs. 100 for Foreigner .....

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At a distance of 1.5 Kms from Badami Bus Station and behind Badami Museum, Badami Fort is situated on top of a hill on the northern banks of Agasthya Lake, other side of Cave Temples.

The fort can be reached by a plight of steep steps from the museum. There are several decorated gateways build out the rock with carvings. The walkway to the fort was carved out from huge redstone hillock, providing unique setting to the fort. There are several water storage beds enroute the top. There are two temples inside the fort, well known as Lower Shivalaya and Upper Shivalaya. The Lower Shivalaya is a small two story structure on the corner of hill overlooking the Badami town. The Upper Shivalaya is a Dravidian style structure on top of the hill. There are several ruined structured all around the fort.

The fort provides magnificent views of all the monument of Badami, including Caves, Lake, Bhoothanatha temples and other monuments. Entire Badami town can be seen from the fort hill. Though .....

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At a distance of 22 km from Dharwad, 57 km from Gadag, 76 km from Dandeli, 100 km from Belgaum, 102 km from Sirsi, 104 km from Badami, 147 km from Gokarna, 169 km from Karwar, 177 km from Panjim, 183 km from Shimoga, 205 km from Murudeshwar, 210 km from Ballari, 361 km from Mangalore, 406 km from Bangalore, 435 km from Mysore, and 527 km from Hyderabad, Hubli, officially known as Hubballi, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is one of the must include places in Karnataka tour packages, and among the best places to visit near Kolhapur.

Hubli or Hubballi is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state of Karnataka, and the second-largest city in the state after Bangalore. Lying on the 'Golden Quadrilateral' this multi-faceted city is also known as the cultural, educational, and music capital of the state. The city boasts numerous monuments and monasteries, .....

Distance (From Badami): 104 Kms
Trip Duration (From Badami - Including Travel): Full Day
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At a distance of 1.5 Kms from Badami Bus Station, Mallikarjuna Group of Temple is a set of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. These temples are located within an enclosed compound just before Boothanatha Temple.

Built in Phamsana style (stepped pyramid), these temples were assumed to be constructed during Rashtrakutas and Kalyani Chalukyas. The outer walls of the temple are plain rock without any carvings. The tower of inner sanctom is built in typical Rashtrakuta style of architecture. The main shrine has a pillerd mukha madapa, an enclosed madhya mandapa followed by the inner sanctom. The inner walls and pillars are mostly plain.

Several smaller shrines are built to the eastern and nortern sides of the main temple. Most of them are closed for renovation.

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