t2india.com
t2india.com
Description:
Badami lies at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya Tirtha tank (an artificial lake) on three sides. It was founded by Pulakesin I of the Chalukya dynasty. Once the capital of the Chalukyas, Badami, called Vatapi back then, is best known today for its rock-cut cave temples. The caves, sculpted in the 6th and 7th centuries CE, depict Hindu, Buddhist and Jain iconography. Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, and cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. A natural cave nearby is dedicated to the Buddha. Carvings of Hindu Gods are strewn across the area in other caverns and on boulders. Two Bhutanatha temples stand facing the lake. Together, these monuments represent the early styles and stages of south Indian temple architecture.
Badami Travel Guide