The Peninsula Tour – Badami, Aihole, Pattadakkal

After good roads through a national highway and three state highways, we have established basecamp at Badami. Aihole and Pattadakkal are neighbouring villages and the three days that we set aside to visit are more than adequate.

Pattadakal and Badami are UNESCO Heritage Sites. Pattadakkal is beautifully situated along the banks of Malaprabha river. Built of sandstone between the 6th to 9th century AD, quarried from the neighbouring hill, and subject to years of flooding and weathering the stone has aged beautifully and there are so many colours to them. Clearly, the artisans who built the temple, made models before the final structure. There are many scale model like structures on the site, and it all culminates in the final temple structures, with complex shikaras that reflect both the Dravidian, Jain and Buddhist architecture.

In all three locations, there are masonry markers indicating locations of where beams or roof members would have fitted and there is evidence of iron dowels used to anchor the stone blocks.

Badami has the rock cut cave temples. I think it is sheer genius to have been able to estimate the extent of rock to be carved out and supported on a few pillars and still have the mountain standing intact, above ones head. For centuries! The pillars are not just chunks of rock but have been carved down, beautifully. And the vegetable dyes, used to paint the murals are intact in places.

The archaeological museum is worth a visit. Very informative and a great setting along the Agastya lake.

We have attached a few of the pictures we took.

Our next stop is Hampi….