The Land of Caves

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[{"selector":"#anim-13909706-dd5f-4479-ab87-246b5a2b2c93","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -596.65684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Badami was known as Vatapi and was the capital of the Badami Chalukyas, which was mainly famous for its rock cut structural temples and beautiful location around the Agastya Temple.

[{"selector":"#anim-174c839a-6c4c-40c8-be6d-5762c7696397","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -639.63673%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] We reached Gadag closest city to the site at 6 am by an overnight bus from Bangalore, and had booked a decent hotel to freshen up and keep our luggage.

[{"selector":"#anim-8325c147-d201-4d52-be9f-97e04ddfd5a4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -776.17141%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] We were a bunch of 8 people and tried to get ready hurriedly as we had booked a Private Tata Sumo to take us around the historical places.

[{"selector":"#anim-6414e1cf-4d21-4ed0-812b-a4dc3b5c8c98","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -1005.19738%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] On reaching Badami, we entered from the museum side and started to walk towards the caves.

[{"selector":"#anim-07027244-0265-4fd7-9d56-d4cb7262a2b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -1005.19738%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] vIt was a 2/3km walk inside the neatly paved road and it’s a heaven for photographers and history lovers!

[{"selector":"#anim-71f010e8-a3d2-4226-9d05-c317b3d7eeb5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -776.17141%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The beautiful Bhadra River lures you to sit by its side forever offering a breathtaking view of the Badami Village and Northern Hills.

[{"selector":"#anim-df61221b-fcff-4f25-8b3e-ab4d645012ab","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -516.97774%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Take a walk behind the temple and you will find two more temples with intricate carvings and within a few meters, there is a small Chalukyan structure under a huge Rock, forming the cave temple.

[{"selector":"#anim-41b0a9a4-bf1b-40b7-bc0a-b6874137d0ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -727.97865%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] vIt’s worth climbing all the levels of caves. The first three caves are dedicated to the Hindu gods whereas the fourth cave to Jain gods.

[{"selector":"#anim-f3e84db5-fa85-4315-9193-6a5673d7a1d5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -727.97865%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Each cave has an extensive elaborate historic symbolism, any history buff would need to take a learned guide and spend more than a day here.

[{"selector":"#anim-9c4377ae-e6bc-4725-9894-1c6d8095160f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -945.5199%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Aihole was earlier known as Ayyavole or Aryapura, the first capital of the Chalukyas before Badami.

[{"selector":"#anim-52b8464e-a7b1-4dae-8653-d9809ebc0c5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -604.05978%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The main attraction here is the Durga temple which looks like the Indian Parliament House. The masterpiece is a fusion of the South Indian Dravidian style and the North Indian Nagara style.

[{"selector":"#anim-a0392eab-a0d5-42c7-b707-377981db2e2f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -945.5199%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] We had an early bus to Hospet the next day and decided to call it a night, stay tuned for what was ahead.