Badami Cave Temples are located in Badami town of Bagalkot district in the north part of Karnataka, India. These cave temples are considered as a perfect example of Indian rock cut architecture. Badami was the capital of early Chalukyas and it lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills. These cave temples are made up of 4 caves that are carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff. The entrance is Mukhamandapa that has stone columns and brackets, a unique feature of these caves. This further leads to the main hall or mandapa and then to a small square shrine cut deep into the cave. The temple caves are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Lord Shiva and the last one is a Jain temple. This is the only Jain temple at Badami.

These temples date back to 600 and 700 CE. The architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara style and South Indian Dravidian style. These temples have beautiful carvings, sculptures and murals. The most important part of the cave temple is the inscriptions here that have been written in old Kannada script and form an important part of historical heritage.

The Mystic Caves

• The first cave has Shiva’s door keepers at the entrance. There is a figure of lord Shiva that is about 5 feet height in the Tandava dancing pose with 18 arms. Besides, Ganpati and Nandi have also been placed inside this cave.
• The second cave has guards in the front, holding a lotus in their hands. The East and West walls of the cave have large images of Bhuvaraha and Trivikrama.
• The third cave is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has giant figures of Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. All these statues are engraved in a vigorous style.
• The fourth cave is a Jain cave where the sanctum is adorned by the image of Mahavir. There are idols of Yakshas, Bahubali and Yakshis inside.

Badami Fort

This fort lies to the east of Bhuthnath Temple, atop a cliff opposite to Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through Badami museum and is a must visit. It is a steep climb with many view points and is marked with little shrines. The path is laid with cut stone that adores all the architecture around the area.

Information for Tourists

Badami is steeped in antiquity and therefore, it has many attractions for tourists. Pattadakal, which was the second capital of Chalukyas, was used to host important state functions. Aihole is located at 46km from Badami, which is also a place worth visiting. The best time to visit is during October to February.

How to Reach Badami

By Air

The nearest airport to Badami is Hubli which is around 100 km and Belgaum which is about 150 km. These airports have connectivity to Bangalore and Mumbai. From Hubli, one can take taxi to Badami.

By Road

Badami is well connected by roads. One can reach by a government bus or private buses from Bangalore, Hubli, Belgaum and Bijapur.

By Rail

Badami Railway Station is around 5 km from Badami Bus Stand. One can reach Badami through rail. The nearest station is Hubli.