Badami Cave Temple|Cave Temple in Badami

The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, cave temple in badami, temples in badami, badami temple tour, badami caves, badami travel, karnataka india temples, temples in karnataka Badami is famous for its cave temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.

Badami is an interesting place to visit in Karnataka what with its artificial lake, ancient temples, Museum and Hindu and Jain caves carved in the Sandstone hills. cave temple in badami, temples in badami, badami temple tour, badami caves, badami travel, karnataka india temples, temples in karnataka The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.

Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples. cave temple in badami, temples in badami, badami temple tour, badami caves, badami travel, karnataka india temples, temples in karnataka The main attractions of Badami are the caves found there. The caves found here are as follows:

* Cave 1
The first cave made of red sandstone, dates back to 578 A.D. and was probably the first to be carved. One has to climb up 40 odd steps to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.

Column shafts are masterfully crafted. On the ceiling one can see the paintings of amorous couples. Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a coiled serpent. The 18-armed lord Nataraja can be seen in 81 dancing poses.

* Cave 2
Dedicated to lord Vishnu depicted here as a dwarf or 'Trivikrama' of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth and the other the sky, the second cave is atop a sandstone hill.

Vishnu here is depicted as a dwarf or. Another form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha' or as a boar. Then there is a frieze endearingly depicting Vishnu as Lord Krishna.

* Cave 3
Still going higher up one comes across this cave antedating 578 A.D. The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, on the plinth one can see the carvings of ganas. The sheer artistry and sculptural genius makes this cave the highlight of Deccan art.

It gives a virtual insight into the art and culture of the 6th century like costumes, jewelry hairstyle lifestyle etc. The other attractions to be looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu with a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha (Vishnu as Man-Lion) Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu as Trivikrama.

* Cave 4
The only Jain cave, the construction of Cave four started in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the earlier three caves.

Here one can see the carvings of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha with a serpent at his feet; Mahavira in a sitting posture also can be seen in the shrine.

The erstwhile capital of early Chalukyas, Badami is known for its beautiful carved cave temples belonging to 6th & 7th centuries. Wedged between two rocky hills at the mouth of a ravine, the four rock-cut cave temples display the full range of religious sects that evolved in India. Overlooking the sandstone caves, is an artificial lake lined with four temples on its shores.

While three of the temples belong to Vedic faith, the fourth and natural cave is the only Jain temple at Badami. Out of the three Hindu temples, two are dedicated to Lord Vishnu while one is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The beautiful carvings, paintings and bracket figures depict Lord Narasimha (with the face of a lion and body of a man), Lord Vishnu Hari Hara (half-Shiva and half-Vishnu), Vishnu Narayana sitting or reclining on Shesh Nag or Ananta (Eternity) and various other figures and scenes from Hindu mythology.

Each of the cave temples have a sanctum, a hall, an open verandah and pillars adorned with spectacular carvings and sculptures. The architectural style can be said to be a blend of Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style. The beautiful murals and the masterpieces found in these caves include the well-renowned idol of 18-armed Lord Nataraja (Shiva), which seems to strike 81 poses when observed closely.

Cave 4 or the last cave houses the idol of 24th Tirthankara, Mahavira seated against a cushion in the inner sanctum. It is said that the construction of the world-famous Elephanta and Ellora caves were inspired by the Badami caves. The other shrines worth visiting at Badami are the the shrine of Nagamma, the local serpent goddess, on the bank of the ancient Bhutnatha lake, and the two Shiva temples where Lord Shiva can be seen sitting in a rare pose of leaning back besides the water in the inner sanctum.

 

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