Glorious Karnataka

Badami Caves – Rocks That Speaks

Situated in the once mighty capital of Chalukya Empire, Badami; the caves are the most stupendously carved caves in South India. Carved on top of a hill, there are four major caves. These are not just plain caves; they are temples dedicated to different religions. They generally are temples dedicated to Hindu and Jain temples. All the four caves are carved out of Deccan sandstone. They were built by the Chalukya Empire around 6th century. The architecture of these caves shows a mixture of North Indian Nagara style and South Indian Nagara. Apart from the caves, there are many temples on the banks of an artificial lake, on which Badami town is located. The lake is named ‘Agasthya Tirtha’. Some of these temples were built at the same time along with caves and date back to 7th century. The temples are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Mahavir Swamy. There is an archaeological museum maintained by ASI, which shows many sculptures of the Chalukyan era. However the main attraction without a doubt are the four magnificent caves.

Cave 1

Carved in 578 AD, this is probably the oldest of the four caves. As you climb 40 odd steps, you come across a hall full of pillars and a square shaped sanctum. From top to bottom, the cave is filled with splendid carvings and paintings that will mesmerize you, the moment you get a glimpse of them. Apart from the walls, even the ceilings have some exceptional art work. The ceiling has painting of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Verandah has a painting of Lord Shiva as Nataraja. The Lord is shown with 18 hands and in 81 dance poses.

Cave 2

Cave 2 is situated just above cave 1 and is a cave temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. You will find different forms of Lord Vishnu portrayed here. Lord Vishnu is shown as Trivikrama. The image is shown with one foot conquering the earth and the other covering the sky. There is another image of Lord Vishnu in incarnation as Varaha, ‘a boar’. Then there is one that is in form of Lord Krishna, riding a Garnda and the lotus encircled by 16 fishes.

Cave 3

Few more steps above Cave 2, is the biggest and most attractive caves of the four caves. Dating back to 578 AD, the cave has paintings and sculptures of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. You also get to see some inscriptions that tell us that the cave was built by Mangalesha. The front of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide with some exquisite carvings. Inside, there are images of Trivikrama, Narasimha, Shankaranarayana, Bhuvaraha, Anantasayana, Harihara and many carvings of Ganas.

Cave 4

This is the only Jain Temple among the four Badami Caves. It is situated to the east of other three caves and its construction was completed nearly 100 years after the other three were completed. There is a magnificent image of Lord Mahavira inside the sanctum. There is an image of Lord Parsvanath with a serpent at his feet. Images of Padmavathi and tirthankaras can also be seen inside the cave. Near the cave, are the steps that lead to Badami Fort, another interesting attraction of the town.

Badami as a town has become a great tourist spot in Karnataka. Apart from the magnificent caves, there are many other attractions inside the town like temples, forts and the artificial lake; all deserving your attention and accolades.

Source : Badami Caves

Bijapur – Mirror To Royal Past

Nestling in the northern part of Karnataka, Bijapur is a historically important city of the state. Situated 530 Km from Bangalore and only 550 Km from Mumbai, it was once the celebrated capital of Adil Shah dynasty. The city was established by the Chalukyas and the city was named as Vijayapura. Soon it came under the rule of Bahmini Sultanate and was named Bijapur. Under this dynasty, Bijapur saw the construction of many exquisite structures that would be counted among the best in the world. A lot of monuments have been partially destroyed during the wars, but still the uniqueness of the monuments is not hidden and attracts all enthusiastic travelers. The grandest of all monuments in the city is Gol Gumbaz, the second largest tomb.

There are many excursion options from Bijapur. Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal which are all located around 100 Km from here. All these places are famous for the temples of Chalukyan style. Engage in shopping in Bijapur which is known for the hand woven lkal silk saris.

Attractions – Exceptional Class of Work

Bijapur has few of the most stunning creations by Muslim rulers in India. There are mosques and tombs that have magnificent works of carvings and architecture. The most important is the Gol Gumbaz which is the second largest tomb in the world. Most of the attractions of the city are situated close to each other and is easy to commute between them. There are many excursion possibilities as well around Bijapur like Aihole which has few of the oldest temples in India.

The Gol Gumbaz

Gol Gumbaz is the tomb of Mohammad Adil Shah and is the second largest tomb in the world, next only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Gol Gumbaz is 124 m in diameter. The structure of the tomb is unique and the four minars of the corners, serve as staircases to the top of the tomb. Gol Gumbaz is most famous for the ‘Whispering Gallery’. The gallery is a circular balcony on the periphery of the dome where even the tiniest of sounds can be heard at the other side of the room. It is said that a sound gets echoed 9 times in the room before starting to fade away. A remarkable structure, Gol Gumbaz is a must visit for all tourists.

Jumma Masjid

It is believed to be among the earliest of Mosques in India. Jumma Masjid is famous for the exclusive copy of Quran which is written in gold. The Mosque was built during the Period of Adil Shah. It still holds prayers and is used for worshiping by many people. The mosque covers an area of 10, 810 sq m which makes it one of the biggest mosques in the region. Jumma Masjid has some decorative motifs inside, on the walls and the ceilings.

The Ibrahim Rauza

It is said that the beauty and architecture splendidness of Ibrahim Rauza inspired the greatest creation in India, The Taj Mahal. Ibrahim Rauza is the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah II and is among the most picturesque structures in Aihole. There are well cut out gardens in the premises that compliment the beauty of monument with magnificently carved walls and perforated stone windows. Ibrahim Rauza is situated at the edge of the city.

Source : Indialine.com