BADAMI TEMPLE

BADAMI TEMPLES

Ø     The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the north part of Karnataka, India.

Ø     They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture. Badami, the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th to 8th centuries, lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills on either side and a town tank in which water from the ravine flows.

Ø      The town is known for its ancient cave temples carved out of the sandstone hills above.^[1]

Ø     The Badami cave temples are composed of four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff in the late 6th to 7th centuries

Ø     The planning of four caves is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave.^[3]

Ø     The temple caves represent different religious sects. Among them, two (cave 2 and 3) are dedicated to god Vishnu, one to god Shiva (cave 1) and the fourth (cave 4) is a Jain temple.

Ø     The first three are devoted to the Vedic faith and the fourth cave is the only Jain temple at Badami.^[4]

Ø     The cave temples date back to 600 and 700 CE. Their architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and South Indian Dravidian style.

Ø      As described above each cave has a sanctum sanctorum, a mandapa, a verandah and pillars. The cave temples also bear exquisite carvings, sculptures and beautiful murals.^[5]

Ø     Important part of historical heritage at Badami cave temples are inscriptions in old Kannada script.

Ø     There is also the fifth cave temple in Badami – Buddhist temple in natural cave which can be entered only on all fours.^[6]

Ø     The Badami Chalukya architecture was a temple building idiom that evolved in the time period of 5th – 8th centuries AD. in the area of Malaprabha basin, in present day Bagalkot district (North Karnataka) of Karnataka state.

Ø     This style is sometimes called the Vesara style and Chalukya style. Their earliest temples date back to around 450 in Aihole when the Badami Chalukyas were feudatories of the Kadamba of Banavasi.

Ø     According to historian K.V. Sounder Rajan, the Badami Chalukyas contribution to temple building matched their valor and their achievements in battle.

Ø     During 450 AD, the Chalukya style originated in Aihole and was perfected in Badami and Pattadakal^[1].

Ø     The Chalukya artists experimented with different styles, blended the Indo-Aryan Nagara and Dravidian styles, and evolved Chalukya style.

Ø     The equals of the grand temples of South India do not find in North and Central India^[2], which was comparatively free of frequent foreign invasions.

Ø     The successive rulers contributed to the work of their predecessors.

Ø     Their style includes two types of monuments.

• The rock cut halls (caves)
• Structural temples

Ø     Badami cave temples have rock cut halls with three basic features: pillared veranda, columned hall and a sanctum cut out deep into rock.

Ø     Early experiments in rock cut halls were attempted in Aihole where they built three cave temples, one each in Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina styles. Later they refined their style and cut out four marvellous cave temples at Badami.

Ø     One note worthy feature of these cave temples is the running frieze of Ganas in various amusing postures caved in relief on each plinth.

Ø     The outside verandas of the cave temples are rather plain, but the inner hall contains rich and prolific sculptural symbolism.

Ø     The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.

Ø      The main attractions of Badami are the caves found there. The caves found here are as follows:

• Cave1
  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.
• Cave2
  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.
• Cave3
  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  Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu as Trivikrama.
• Cave4
  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.

Ø     Architecture à  The temple architecture is a blend of North Indian Nagara Style and South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. Each cave has a sanctum, a hall, a verandah and pillars. The cave temples also bear exquisite carvings, sculptures and beautiful murals.