I won’t be exaggerating if I say for years I have dreamt of exploring the cave temples of Badami. Along with the UNESCO World Heritage declared Pattadakal Temple Complex and the cradle of Indian Temple Architecture at Aihole. But somehow this trip kept evading me. Until 2023. When all of a sudden, we made a plan to visit Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole on a long weekend from Bangalore. Here’s the complete guide on a trip to Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole. We did a road trip to Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole from Bangalore. And were completely mesmerised by the beauty of the region. As well as the ancient temples that it has. It’s less known but exquisite and wonderful place in the Bagalkot district of North Karnataka.
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A quick history of the temple architecture of Badami – Pattadakal – Aihole region
The temples of this region, particularly Badami and Aihole, were like a prototype to the developing temple architecture forms of India during the reign of the Chalukya Dynasty. A visit to these temples and architecture complexes brought back memories of several other temples and temple complexes that we have visited from all over India. As, we could see their prototypes or samples here. Also, we understood how the intricate architecture of the ancient temples of India that blows away our mind actually took shape.
Be it the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, the Konark and Puri Temples in the east, Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat in the west, the Brihadeeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, Khajuraho group of temples in Madhya Pradesh and several other temples across India!! This place is also the birth place of prominent temple architecture styles of India like Nagara and Dravidian style temple architectures.
The Badami Cave Temples
Even the practice of developing cave temples originated in Badami during the Chalukya Dynasty reign. There are a few prototype of cave temples in Aihole. And it seems when the architects were fully skilled, they moved to Badami. Where they found the perfect sandstone hills to build some of the most amazing cave temples of India. As soon as I stepped at the premises of the cave temples of Badami, it reminded me of my trip to the cave temples of Udayagiri in Madhya Pradesh. There is definitely resemblance in the form of the sculptures and the idols of God that decorate the two temples. And even the Badami Cave temples were built more than 2000 years ago. So, you can imagine how old these temples are. Currently they are maintained by the ASI (Archeological Survey of India). And are also in the candidate list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In total there are 4 cave temples in total, built on the slope of the hill, with the next cave temple gaining height compared to the last one. Let me quickly take you on a virtual tour of the 4 cave temples of Badami with me –
Natraja – Shiva Temple – Cave 1 of the Badami Cave Temples
The first cave temple that you arrive at while exploring the Badami Cave Temples is the Natraja Temple which is dedicated to God Shiva. The structure of the temple comprises of an outer Verandah, an inner pillared chamber and then a deep innermost chamber which was for worship. The innermost sanctum or the garbha griha has an idol of Shivlinga established. On the walls and ceilings you will witness several stories from the life of Shiva and his two sons Ganesha and Karthikeyan. Shiva is depicted in his different forms. And also there are carvings of Goddess Parvati in different forms. For instance, the porch has Harihara on the left while Ardha-nareeshwar is depicted on the right.
Cave 1 was excavated around 550 CE!
Vishnu Temple at Cave 2 of the Badami Cave Temples
The temple in Cave 2 is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. While the structure of this cave temple is very similar to cave 1. It has a flight of stairs leading to a verandah with ornate pillars. And huge sculptures on either wall. The Verandah leads to an inner pillared chamber which is not as ornate as the ones at the entry. This leads to another inner chamber where perhaps the prayers were held at one point of time. You can see different avatars of Vishnu on the pillars in this cave. Some also depict stories from Hindu Puranas like the Bhagwat Purana and the holi stories like the Samudra Manthana.
Largest cave temple at Cave 3 of the Badami Cave Temples
Cave 3 at the Badami Cave Temples is the largest of all the four cave temples. It is also the oldest cave temple dedicated to Hindu Gods in the whole Deccan region. Interestingly, this cave 3 has carvings of both Vishnu and Shiva sculptures. And is believed to be a hybrid of both Shaivism and Vishnuism. It was created by the Chalukya King Mangalesha in the reign of his step brother for the God Maha – Vishnu.
Also, this cave goes very deep, about 60 feet inside the mountain!! And Cave 3 has an inner sanctum, a pillared hall and a porch outside, just like the other two caves. I found the carvings, decorative elements and sculptures and idols on Cave 3 to be the most outstanding of all the Badami Cave Temples.
It has sanskrit inscriptions, large idol of Goddess Durga, Hanuman, Vishnu and Shiva. There are beautiful carvings even on the roof and on the pillars in the verandah. Figures of loving couples like Shiva-Parvati, Kama – Rati, Naga – Nagin can also be seen. Along with depictions of the scenes from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas like Samudra-Manthana. The ceiling actually depicts reiefs of Bhrahma at the center surrounded by Indra (east), Varuna (West), Karthikeya (south). This cave is even painted although the paint is wearing off.
Nevertheless, cave 3 is the most ornate cave temple that I came across whle exploring the Badami Cave Temples.
Jain Temple dedicated to Tirthankaras at Cave 4 of the Badami Cave Temples
The fourth and the last temple that you encounter while exploring the Badami Cave Temples – Cave 4 – is a Jain Temple. It is dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras. The sculptures depicting the Jain Tirthankaras and the intricate carvings that I saw inside this temple reminded me of my visit to the Ranakpur Jain Temple that I visited on my trip from Udaipur to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh. It was one of the most magnificent Jain Temples that I have ever visited. And I will not be surprised if someone can confirm that the Ranakpur Jain Temple drove their inspiration from the Cave 4 at Badami Cave Temples!
The construction of cave 4 dates back to the 7th century. But some of the extra details in the caves were added later, by 12th century. The prominent Jain Tirthankaras that you witness in this cave temple include Mahaveer, Parshvanath, Bahubali and several others. How to reach the Badami Cave Temples.
Views around the Badami Cave Temples
As you ascend the flight of stairs exploring the Badami Cave Temples. Don’t forget to soak in the views of the beautiful Agastya Lake at the foothill and the glimpses of the Boothnath Temple on the edge of the lake. All these structures are part of the Badami Fort. Even the walls of the Badami Fort on top of the hill and the upper Shivalaya and lower Shivaylaya are very evident from here. Overall the views are very stunning. And they only get better as you keep ascending from cave 1 to cave 4!!
How to reach the Badami Cave Temples
You can either drive to the foot of the Badami Cave Temples. Where there is a parking for vehicles. To be honest, it gets a little chaotic here as the crowd increases. And it is a hassle at times to find a parking spot. But if you don’t mind waiting a bit, go for it. Another thing is that, you must not leave your vehicle windows open. Because then you will find monkeys have taken up your seat as your return back after exploring the Badami Cave Temples.
Another more convenient option will be to hire a local autorickshaw that will drop you to the Badami Cave Temples. You can either just get a drop to the Badami Cave Temples in the Autorickshaw. Or, you can hire the autorickshaw for the full day. And use it to explore around all the different places to visit in Badami along with the Badami Cave Temples. We drove to the Badami Cave Temples. But later, to explore the Bhootnath Temple and visit the Agastya Caves and other places, we hired autorickshaws. If you are staying somewhere like the Clarks Inn Badami, you can as well walk to the Badami Cave Temples.
What are the timings of the Badami Cave Temples
The Badami Cave temples are open from 9:00am to 5:30pm on all days of the week. However, people prefer to explore the Badami Cave Temples in the evening hours. The Cave temples are facing north. And visiting them towards the evening means you will be naturally protected from the heat of the setting sun that goes behind the sandstone hills on which the caves are located. So, it is a pleasant time to visit the Badami Cave Temples. At the same time, you can also expect a lot more crowd around this time. However, if you are exploring the Badami Cave Temples in the monsoons season like we did, anytime when it is cloudy is perfect to visit the Cave Temples.
We reached the cave temples around 11:00am. And after finding a parking slot in the parking lot at the bottom of the hill, we took the stairs to explore the cave. It was cloudy with pleasant winds. And occasional drizzling now and then. Overall it was a pleasure to explore around without the scorching sun hovering above our head 🙂 I would rather say the Sun God was very generous on all the 3 days we spent in Badami , exploring the complete region of Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole.
Is there an entry fee to the Badami Cave Temples
There is an entry fee of INR 25 per Indian Adult for visiting the Badami Cave Temples. There is no fee for kids 12 years and below. Tickets for exploring the Badami Cave Temples can be purchased from the ticket counter on the left side of the parking lot entry to the Badami Caves. There is no need of taking prior tickets.
Can kids and elders trek to the Badami Cave Temples
Yes, people of all ages can easily trek up and down exploring the Badami Cave Temples. They just need good comfortable shoes and be a little careful. Particularly if they are visiting in the rains when the stairs can be wet. Even the 3 years old in our group easily navigated up and down the flight of stairs at the Badami Cave Temples. And our parents who were visiting with us also easily navigated through. In front of each cave temple, there is ample space to rest. There are benches also to sit. And the whole place is very neat and clean – hats off to it’s maintenance by ASI. One can easily rest between the different caves.
General Information on Visiting Badami and the Badami Cave Temples
- Allocate around 2 hours to fully explore all the four Badami Cave Temples.
- Wear Comfortable shoes. Although there are steps cut into stone to ascend and descend through the Badami Cave Temples, at times they are steep.
- Better to not carry anything with you, particularly food and water. Because there are plenty of monkeys around. They jump on your vehicle to welcome you as soon as you get into the parking at Badami Caves. But, mostly they mind their own business. Until you are carrying food and water with you. We did see them scaring a few people with backpacks, in order to snatch the food and water from them. And one monkey stealthily took out the hair clip from one of the kid’s hair while she was posing for a picture 🙂
- Best time to visit Badami is in the winter season when the temperature is moderately hot. I also found the raining season to be a good time to visit here. Particularly the beginning of monsoons. When we visited Badami at the onset of monsoons in June end, there was good cloud cover and cold wind blowing. But there was hardly any rains. So, we explored all the places very comfortably.
- We took a road trip from Bangalore to Badami. You can self drive or hire a taxi. By road, Badami is located ~500km from Bangalore. But, you can also take an overnight train from Bangalore to Badami. Or, visit Badami from Goa or Hubli or Hampi which are all at a distance of 2-3 hours driving from Badami.
- There are several stay options that have developed in Badami over the past few years. We stayed at the Heritage Resort Badami which was a comfortable small resort. You can also stay at Clarks Inn Badami. Click here to see a list of hotels in Badami that you can browse through and select from. Don’t expect very high end luxurious resorts.
- There are a lot of other places to explore in Badami in a day. You can plan your itinerary covering them as well along with Badami Cave Temples.