On your tour to Karnataka, Badami should hold a prime place in your tour plans since its a rare sight to view the spectacular rock cut frescoes, carved statues, engraved ceilings and intricately carved and ornamented pillars. Known for its rich history and ancient architecture, Badami has a number of richly carved monuments and caves dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries. It has four cave temples. Cave One of Cave Temples Badami is the first of the caves to be carved which dates back to 578 A.D. and is made of red sandstone.
Situated in the picturesque valley between two hills this ancient capital of the Chalukyas is famous for the four cave temples shaped out of sandstone rock from the hill. Dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva these temples in Badami are amazing pieces of Chalukyan art. Overlooking these temples is an artificial lake called the Bhutanath Lake named after the Bhutanath temples.
A flight of 40 steps leads you to the Cave One of Cave Temples of Badami. It is a rock cut verandah with columns leading to halls with innumerable carved pillars and a square sanctum hollowed in the control back wall.
The first cave temple has carvings in bas-relief of Ardhanareeswara and Harira manifestations of Shiva that dates back to the 5th century. There are also other reliefs of Ganapati, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini. The ceiling is exquisitely carved depicting Shiva and Parvati and a coiled serpent. In one of the walls you will find the carved relief of Nataraja with eighteen arms depicting the cosmic dance in 81 poses.
