Badami Cave Temples

History

The caves were excavated under the Early Chalukyas who made Badami (Vatapi) their capital; inscriptions and stylistic analysis place the sequence from the late sixth century, with the natural cave setting framing the rock-cut architecture.

ASI protects the cave group as part of the broader Badami–Aihole–Pattadakal monument cluster listed on Karnataka’s protected monuments roster.

Stories

A dated cave in the cliff: Cave 3, 578 CE

The four Badami caves, numbered in the order they were made, date from the late 6th century onwards. Only Cave 3, a temple of Vishnu, has an exact date. An inscription in old Kannada records its dedication by Mangalesha in Saka 500, which is 578 to 579 CE.

Badami, once called Vatapi, was the capital of the early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th century. The caves are cut into the soft sandstone cliff above the man-made Agastya lake.

Shiva, Vishnu and the Jain faith under one cliff

Cave 1 holds a prominent carving of the dancing Shiva as Nataraja, and Cave 2 has Vishnu as Trivikrama in a large relief. Cave 3, the largest, shows Vishnu seated on the coiled serpent Ananta, along with Varaha and Narasimha. Cave 4 is dedicated to the revered figures of Jainism.

The caves are among the earliest known examples of Hindu temples in the Deccan, and with Aihole and Pattadakal they are described as a cradle of temple architecture that influenced later temples. Wikipedia notes the group is on India's list proposed for World Heritage status.

Good to know

Four numbered caves with distinct Hindu and Jain iconography

Cliff-top setting overlooking Agastya Lake and the Bhutanatha temples

Usually visited with Banashankari Amma and the Badami fort precinct

Getting there

Nearest airport: Hubballi. Nearest railhead: Badami; local taxis connect the cave cliff from the town.