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Rock-cut
cave temples, gateway, forts, inscriptions, sculpture that seem to
come alive under your eyes....Badami has to be seen to be believed.
Climb a
flight of steps to reach the ancient caves - all hewn out of sand
stone on the precipice out of a hill. There are four caves here. The
first three belong to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the
only Jain temple in Badami.
Enter
the first cave temple - past Shiva's door keepers - and there
he is! The eighteen - armed Nataraja striking 81 dances poses.
The largest
and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.
Here are some splendid carvings of the Hindu Pantheon. Narasimha -
the half-man half-lion avatar of Vishnu, Hari Hara the composite god
who is half-Shiva and half-Vishnu. Vishnu - Narayan setting as well
as reclining on the snake Shesh or Ananta (Eternity)... There are
also some paintings on the ceiling and wonderful bracket figures on
the piers.
A little to
the east of this shrine, on top of a cliff is a Jain temple. Here
you will find many Jain deities and a huge figure of Parshwanatha.
Overlooking
the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to
Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutnatha temples that lend
their name to the lake just beneath the cave temples. Take a dip in
this green tranquil lake. It is said to have healing properties.
According to a popular story, king Kushtaryatra was cured of leprosy
here. Badami also has eighteen inscriptions ranging from the sixth
to the sixteenth century. After you have exclaimed over the
beautiful sculptures and admired the exquisite carvings, stop by at
the museum set up by the Archaeological survey of India.
Languages
Spoken: Kannada.
Hindi. English.
When to go
there: Anytime
from October to February.
How to get
there:
Air : The
nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms).
Rail :
Badami is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route.
Road :
Badami is connected by road to :
Hubli (128
kms)
Mijapur
(132 kms).
Where to
stay:
Hotel
Badami Court, Station Road. Ph : 08357-65230.
Hotel Myura
Chalukya
Ramdurg
Road. Ph : 08357-65046.
How to get
around:
Cycle
Rickshaws, Tongas, Bus Service.
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