carved in the Sandstone hills. It
was the capital of the early Chalukyas of the 6th - century. There are four rock-cut
temples replete with carved pillars and bracket figures. There are fragments of
magnificent frescoes in some of the caves. The cave temples of Badami , a few miles west
of Pattadkal, were hewn out of solid rock, as early as 550 A.D. The pattern is similar: a
veranda with pillars, a hall with columns, and a small cell for the deity. The exterior is
plain but the interior is lavishly adorned. The first cave goes deep into the rock. Dwarfs
occupy the front of the veranda with a Nandi bull on the left and 18-armed Shiva on the
right. There are also images of Vishnu, and goddess Durga.
The second temple is smaller and also dedicated to Vishnu - depicting the various
incarnations. The third cave is the biggest with a double row of pillars. The other is a
Jain temple built at a later period, with figures of the tirthankaras, Parasnath and
Mahavira. |
