Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Badami Cave Temples

We visited Badami cave temples during the month of September 2012. We were part of a large group of tourists who were on a 3 day trip to Hospet & surrounding areas to see the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire  as well to visit the magnificent temples at Hampi, Pattadakkal & Badami. We visited Badami on the 2nd day. It was late evening when we reached Badami & the sky was over cast & there was light rain when we reached. Soon the light rain turned into a down pour and we had to take refuge in one of the cave temples. Finally the rain subsided and we took a quick tour of the temples in fading light. The pictures are therefore not as good as I would have liked them to be:
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. 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  main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine or garbha graha cut deep into the cave. The temple caves represent different religious sects. Among them, two (cave 2 and 3) are dedicated to god Vishnu , one ( cave 1) to God Shiva & one (cave 4) to Mahavira
Steps Leading upto the Badami Cave Temples - And the massive Temple Tank below

Waterfalls from the nearby hills
The rock cut caves

Statue of Shiva carved on the rock - Below another Shiva statue in cosmic pose with 16 hands

23 comments:

  1. absolutely fabulous! love the rocks and carvings!

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  2. beautiful pics....
    temple tank and water falls are awesome..

    regards
    anu

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  3. awesome place comprising nature formation and marvelous sculptors... i wish to be there sometime admiring the stunning humpi region.

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  4. Notwithstanding the climatic conditions prevailing there during your visits, the photographs could only be ranked as excellent. I thougfht you are back in India.

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  5. Badami is a photographers delight. I had been here in my childhood days.

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  6. Beautiful! Even I visited this temple...its mesmerizing

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  7. Brilliant captures of Badami caves.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

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  8. I had been to Hampi and Halebeedu, not this place. Now, I have to do it as early as possible.

    The pictures have come come out well.

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  9. Any one out there think that the Manhattan skyline and the Big Apple concrete rises can rival these wonders of yore in India?

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  10. Rama, I missed seeing the place when I had been to Hampi many years back, but thanks to you this place is as good as seen now!

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  11. Fantastic! Reminds me of my trip there long ago, I was chased by a group of monkeys!

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  12. Spectacular pictures! Love the entire antiquity of the place and the weather is adding to the entire mystical appeal.

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  13. Brilliant pics. Loved the carvings on the rocks.

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  14. Nice pics Ram. Loved the carving and the staircase.

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  15. Brilliant pics.. I wish to see this place soon. The pics with the nature rain at its best.

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  16. Wish they made it UNESCO World Heritage site.
    A great place.

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  17. Badami Cave Temples looks awesome! The Waterfalls is really gorgeous!

    When I see photos on caves in India, I remember a wonderful film, one of my preferred, named "A Passage to India". Did you saw that film? It's a masterpiece. I saw it uncountable times. To read about this filme, please click A PASSAGE TO INDIA.
    This film, directed by David Lean, and starring Judy Davis, Victor Bannerjee, James Fox, Peggy Ashcroft and Alec Guinness, won two Oscars and numerous other awards.

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  18. Nice post, i have never been there but this post prompt me to visit Badmi Cave Temples once in a life time.

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  19. Wow, Marvelous cave! it just impressive and bear in mind destination in Karnataka state.
    really, Karnataka is a famous tourist state where many of must visited destination are available for tourists such as Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Hampi, Badami, Coorg Hill Station, Magalore and much more. if you want to find more informative post related to Badami Cave temples and Karnataka tourism then please visit on
    Karnataka Popular Destinations

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  20. Wow amazing pictures and great post too thanks .

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