Badami Chalukya architecture

The Badami Chalukya architecture was a temple building idiom that evolved in
the 5th – 8th centuries in theMalaprabha river basin, in present-dayBagalkot district
of Karnataka state, under the Chalukya dynasty. This style is sometimes called the
Vesara style and Chalukya style, a term that also includes the much later Western
Chalukya architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries. Early Chalukya architecture,
used by George Michell and others, equates to Badami Chalukya. The earliest
Badami Chalukya temples date back to around 450 A.D. in Aihole when the Badami
Chalukyas were vassals of the Kadambas of Banavasi. According to historian K.V.
Sounder Rajan, the Badami Chalukyas contribution to temple building matched their
Sangameshvara temple,Pattadakal
valor and their achievements in battle.
built in 725 CE
About 450 CE, the Early Chalukya style originated in Aihole and was perfected in
Badami and Pattadakal.[1] The unknown architects and artists experimented with
different styles, blended the Nagara andDravidian styles.[2]

Their style includes two types of monuments:rock cut halls or "cave temples", and "structural" temples, built above ground.

Contents
Badami cave temples
Important Badami Chalukya temples
References
Notes
External links

Badami cave temples

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

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

The outside verandas of the cave temples are rather plain, but the inner hall contains Cave temple at BadamiKarnataka
rich and prolific sculptural symbolism. Art critic Dr. M. Sheshadri wrote of the
Chalukya art that they cut rock like Titans but finished like jewellers. Critic Zimmer
wrote that the Chalukya cave temples are a fine balance of versatility and restrain.

The finest structural temples are located in Pattadakal. Of the ten temples in Pattadakal, six are in Dravidian style and four in
Rekhanagara style. The Virupaksha temple in many ways holds resemblance to the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram which came
into existence a few years earlier.
This is a fully inclusive temple, it has a central structure, nandi pavilion in front and
has a walled enclosure that is entered by a gateway. The main sanctum has a
Pradakshinapatha and mantapa. The mantapa is pillared and has perforated
windows (pierced window screens). The external wall surface is divided by pilasters
into well-spaced ornamental niches filled with either sculptures or perforated
windows. Art critic Percy Brown says about the sculptures that they flow into the
architecture in a continuous stream. It is said that the Virupaskha temple is one of
those monuments where the spirit of the men who built it, still lives.
Bhutanatha temple complex
Many centuries later, the serene art of the Badami Chalukya reappeared in the
pillared architecture of the Vijayanagar Empire. Their caves include finely engraved
sculptures of Harihara, Trivikrama, Mahisa Mardhini, Tandavamurthi, Paravasudeva, Nataraja, Varaha, Gomateshvara and others.
Plenty of animal and foliage motifs are also included.

Some important sculptors of their time wereGundan Anivaritachari, Revadi Ovajja and Narasobba.

Important Badami Chalukya temples

Pattadakal

Virupaksha Temple
Sangameswarar Temple
Kashivisvanatha Temple (Rashtrakuta)
Mallikarjuna Temple
Galganatha Temple
Kadasiddeshvara Temple
Jambulinga Temple
Jain Narayana Temple (Rashtrakuta)
Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal
Papanatha Temple
Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery
Naganatha Temple
Chandrashekara
Mahakuteshwara Temple
Sun Temple
Aihole

Lad Khan Temple

Huchiappayyagudi Temple
Huchiappayya math
Durga Temple Ravana Phadi cave, Aihole
Meguti Jain Temple
Ravanaphadi Temple
Gowda Temple
Museum & Art Gallery
Suryanarayana Temple
Badami

Cave 1 (Shiva)
Cave 2 (Vishnu as Trivikrama or Vamana, Varaha and Krishna)
Cave 3 (Vishnu as Narasimha, Varaha, Harihara and Trivikrama.)
Cave 4 (Jain Tirthankara Parsvanatha)
Bhutanatha group of temples(Badami and Kalyani Chalukya)
Gerusoppa
 Vardhamanaswamy Temple
Sanduru

Parvati temple
Alampur, Andhra Pradesh

Navabrahma temples
Kudavelly Sangameshwara Temple

References
1. "Echoes from Chalukya caves"(http://www.buddhistartnews.com/ban0
7/?p=3240). Retrieved 2009-04-01.
2. "Architecture, The Chalukyan magnificence"(http://www.hinduonnet.co
m/fline/fl2201/stories/20050114000106500.htm) . Archived (https://web.a
rchive.org/web/20090510023153/http://www .hinduonnet.com/fline/fl220
1/stories/20050114000106500.htm)from the original on 10 May 2009. Jain tirthankara Parshvanath, cave
Retrieved 2009-04-01. No. 4, Badami cave temples

Notes
Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall ofijayanagar,
V OUP, New Delhi
(Reprinted 2002).
Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).
History Of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje © 1998-00 OurKarnataka.com

External links
Official site of Bagalkot District
Karnataka Tourism Guide
Karnataka Hotels
Tourism of India
Temples of Karnataka, Dr. Jyotsna Kamat

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