Badami: A Beautiful Town of the Cave Temples

Badami, once known as Vatapi, was the capital of powerful Chalukyan Empire. It is situated in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. This district is blessed with some impressive historical sites of ancient Indian History that include destinations like Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole. In the current state, these places look like small towns or remote villages. However, they were the most significant centers of the Chalukyan Empire in their glorious days.

Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, all three places are located in the close vicinity. They can be covered in a single day with a little bit of planning. Ideally, you should spend a full day at Badami and other day to Aihole and Pattadakal. This post is about the tourist attractions in Badami including the ancient ruins, Badami Fort and Badami Caves.

Badami in Hindu Mythology

Legend says that there were two demon brothers in the ancient times; one was Vatapi and another one was Ilvala. Once Ilvala hosted a revered sage and asked him to grant a boon. He desired to have a son like Indra, but the sage did not oblige. Ilvala became angry and decided to kill all the Brahmins. His brother Vatapi knew the art of transformation and had the power to change into any life form. Ilvala knew the ‘Mrit Sanjeevani’ mantra to bring back the dead. After inviting a Brahmin for the feast, Vatapi used to turn himself into a Goat. Ilwala used to offer hot meat to the guest. After feeding people with Vatapi’s meat, Ilvala used to recite the ‘Mrit Sanjeevani’ mantra. After this, Vatapi used to emerge after tearing the body of the person, causing the person to die instantly.

One day, they applied the same trick to the great Sage Agasthya. But, Agasthya understood their intention. Before Ilvala recite his mantra, the sage digested the meat causing death to Vatapi. That put an end to the misery of local people. The two hills in Badami at the Northern and the Southern side are supposed to represent the demon brothers Ilvala and Vatapi. The lake between the hills is named as ‘Agasthya Lake’ or ‘Agasthya Tirtha’ in honour of the great sage Agasthya.

Places to Visit in Badami

Badami’s best can be simply experienced by a walk through the ruins. All the major attractions of Badami are located around the Agasthya Lake and sandwiched between two high mountain cliffs at Northern and Southern side. It is about one kilometer walk from the bus stand. The straight cliffs of the Northern Hill and fort complex on the hill-top are visible from the main road itself. While approaching from the bus stand, in front of Badami Post Office, take a left turn in a lane going towards the Northern Hill. This lane goes directly to the Lake, Archaeological Museum and Bhootnath Temple Complex.

Archaeological Museum of Badami

After entering the massive complex of Agasthya Lake, you can find a museum on the left-hand side near the main entrance. A stone statue of Nandi (Lord Shiva’s bull) and Lord Ganesha is there near the ticket counter. The museum mainly comprises of pre-historic stone implements and sculptures, architectural members, inscriptions, hero stones etc datable from 6th to 16th century AD. There are four galleries of the inscriptions and sculptures excavated from the nearby cave temples. Most notable attractions inside the museum are a sandstone image of Lajja Gauri, a Makara Torana carved on both sides, Kalantaka Shiva and Shiva Tripurantaka panels.

Visiting Hours for Museum

Daily except Fridays from 09.00 AM to 05:00 PM

Entry Ticket for Museum

Rs 5 per person. Free entrance for the children below the age of 15 years.

Photography Inside The Museum

Photography and Videography is not allowed inside the museum.

Agasthya Lake

Walking further, I reached to a beautiful large water reservoir, known as ‘Agasthya Lake’ or ‘Agasthya Tirtha’. The lake is bounded by the Badami Cave Temples to the South and the Badami Fort to the North. The beautiful Bhootnath Temple Complex is on the Eastern side, while the Western side is dominated by a human settlement. From the top of the Badami Fort and Badami Cave Temples, the lake looks very picturesque. Up close, the water is not so clean.

The lake is surrounded by the sandstone steps (ghats) from three sides turning it more spectacular. You can find many local women washing their clothes/utensils and many people bathing on the sandstone steps (ghats). The water in the sacred lake was believed to possess some healing power too; the characteristic no longer exists.

Bhootnath Temple Complex

The temple is located at the Eastern side of the ‘Agasthya Lake’. Another Group of Bhootnath Temple is located at the North-Eastern side of the lake. The Eastern Temple Complex is the main temple. It is believed to be built in 5th century.

Bhootnath Group of temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Inside the temple, there are a lot of carvings on the wall. My favourite one is this image of Lord Vishnu lying down on Sheshanaag.

Behind the temple, there are some excellent carvings of the Hindu gods on the rock. These carvings are chiseled in a single rock and have the images of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Varah Avtar of Lord Vishnu, Narsingh Avtar of Lord Vishnu, A Shivalingam, Nandi Bull, etc.

Visiting Hours for Temple Complex

There is no restriction to visit the lake and temple complex. It remains open from the sunrise to the sunset.

Entry Ticket for Temple Complex

Free of cost.

Badami Fort and Adjacent Area

Adjacent to the museum, there is a stepped path ascends through the cliffs of the Northern Hill. I just followed the trail and reached on the upper part of the hill. The hill has an amazing package to unfold for its visitors. Top portion of the hills are almost flat covering with a lot of shrubs and thorns. It has many walking trails, small water ponds, some small temples with excellent carvings and Badami Fort. You may walk along the cliff to observe the whole town of Badami. It feels like the white-washed, flat-roofs houses in Badami glued so closed to each other that you can simply walk from one roof to another.

While moving from one corner to another on the Northern Hill, you have to move through the narrow passes in the middle of two towering cliffs that feels very exciting. It resembles the landscape of legendary Petra in Jordan. The hills of Badami are one of the most enjoyable places for rock climbing and cliff hanging in India.

I climbed on a small hill of the fort with the Upper and Lower Shivalayas. The Upper Shivalaya, built by Pulakesan II, a devotee of Lord Vishnu is marked by sculpted tales from mythology on its outer walls. The tales include features like Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill flanked by herds, Krishna crushing the serpent Kaliya etc. Few meters ahead of the shivalayas, there are two Open Mandapas built upon a rock-cut terrace with worn elephant torsos.

The ruins of Lower Shivalaya are few steps ahead of Mandapa. To its north a 16th century cannon looks down on the township. The watchtower of the fort, a little further, is believed date back to the 14th century.

Another significant temple on the Northern hill is Malegitti Shivalaya. It is the finest and most beautifully preserved monument from the time of Early Chalukyas in Badami. The temple is perched on a side of the Northern Hill beneath the Badami Fort. Magnificent carvings of Shiva bearing trident and Vishnu holding conch and disc are set between the stone windows. The temple can be conveniently reach through a narrow lane from the main road opposite to the bus stand.

The distance between Badami Fort on the Northern Hill and Badami Caves on the Southern Hill is only one km, but most of the tourists don’t proceed towards the fort after exploring the caves. The Northern Hill normally stays undisturbed from the tourists. You can enjoy tourist attractions like Bhootnath Temple Complex, Badami Museum, Northern Hill and Badami Fort in a peaceful manner while exploring the area at your own pace. It makes walking experiences more enjoyable in Badami.

Visiting Hours for Temple Complex

There is no restriction to visit the Northern Hill and Badami Fort. It remains open from the sunrise to the sunset.

Entry Ticket for Temple Complex

Free of cost.

After visiting the Northern Side of the Badami Complex, I moved towards the Southern Hill. The Southern hill is famous for the legendary cave temples of Badami. The cave temples and the huge crowd visiting them were visible from the Northern Hill. I covered 1.5 km distance from Northern Hill to Southern Hill while walking through a dense settlement. If you would like to walk, it’s better avoiding an auto-rickshaw and simply walk around.

Banashankari Temple

Shri Banashankari Shakti Peetham or Banashankari Amma Temple is a highly revered temple dedicated to Goddess Banashankari or Shakambari, an incarnation of the goddess Parvati. The area is believed to be a part of Tilakaaranya (Aranya: बन or वन in Hindi ), therefore the goddess in known as Banashankari (बनशंकरी) or Vanashankari (वनशंकरी). . The original temple was built by the Chalukya Kings in the 7th century, who worshipped goddess Banashankari as their tutelary deity (Kuldevi).

It is located at Cholachagudd, about 5 km away from Badami Caves. Shared auto-rickshaws are available from Badami to Banashankari Temple.

Visiting Hours for Temple

It remains open from the sunrise to the sunset.

Entry Ticket for Temple

Free of cost. Ample parking space is available.

Mahakuta Group of Temples

Dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Mahakuteshwara Mahadev, this temple is another beautiful example of Chalukyan Architecture. The temple complex is full of Shivalinga all around and famous as Dakshina Kashi (Kashi of The South). The temples are built around a sacred pond (Pushkarini Teertha). It has a small Shivalinga with four faces in four direction at the side, where you can reach after entering in the pond. The temple complex contains numerous other temples, two historical inscriptions of the Chalukyan era and a Nandi Mandapa.

Mahakuta group is about 14 km from Badami via Station Road. One can reach there by hiring an auto from the bus stand or railway station. Shared autos are also available, but frequency is limited.

Another adventurous way to reach Mahakuta Group of Temples by 5-6 km walk from the Archaeological Museum. The road is well marked on Google Map and proceeds through the rural landscape, where you can enjoy walking in the early morning.

Visiting Hours for Temple Complex

It remains open from the sunrise to the sunset.

Entry Ticket for Temple Complex

Free of cost. Ample parking space is available.

Domed Tomb at Badami

A funerary monument or a domed tomb is standing beside the parking area at foothills of the Southern Hill. Hardly anyone going to Badami expresses any interest in the tomb, therefore it stays closed normally. It is made of the red sandstone in 17th century. It was erected by a local governor of Adil Shahi Rulers in the memory of his wife. The finely proportioned tomb displays typical features of Adil Shahi Architecture. It is really an impressive monument, but in the shadow of nearby magnificent caves, it is losing its charm.

Badami Caves

Badami is famous for its four cave temples – all cut out of a monolithic (single) rock of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. First three of the cave temples is devoted to Hindu gods and goddesses, and the latter one is dedicated to Jain Tirthankars. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Jainism and also Buddhism.

Visiting Hours for Badami Caves

Daily from 09.00 AM to 06:00 PM

Entry Ticket for Badami Caves

Rs 25 for Indians and Rs 200 for foreigners. Free entrance for the children below the age of 15 years. Ticket counter is just near the main entrance of the caves. Car parking charge is Rs 40. Photography is allowed in the cave temples. Still Camera is free. Video Camera charge is Rs 25.

Caution while visiting caves

The cave temples of Badami have some mischievous elements living there consistently in the shelter of sacred gods and goddesses. There are literally hundreds of Monkeys on the stone steps leading to the top. Be careful while walking on the steps around the caves. Do not hand over any eatable items to your child. The monkeys are very aggressive snatchers in the area. 🙂

Cave Temple 1

Moving from the ticket counter, a long flight of steps take me to the first cave. The first of Badami caves is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The cave temple dates back to the 5th century and was built by the Chalukyan King Pulkesin I. There is a carving of the cosmic dance of Shiva Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. With the 18 arms, Lord Shiva can make 81 dance poses or mudra of Natya Shastra. You can also find the reliefs of Ganapati, Nandi, Shanmukha and Mahishasuramardhini (may be the oldest in Badami). It is made of red sandstone and has a hall with numerous pillars and a square-shaped sanctum hollowed in the back wall.

Cave Temple 2

The second cave temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations). It is reached through a flight of 64 steps from the first one. The best carving in this cave is the image of Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatar (Varaha the pig-faced, human-bodied Lord, half human-half animal). In this avatar, he rescued the Goddess Bhudevi (The Earth) from the demon Hiranyaksha. On the ceiling of this cave, there are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas. In another carving, there is an image of Lord Vishnu in Nindra Kolam (He is standing and more than seven feet tall).

Cave Temple 3

The third rock cut temple and the most majestic one, is reached from the second temple through a flight of 60 steps. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it is a 100 feet deep cave with inscriptions dating back to 578 CE, the period of Kiritivarma Chalukya. There are carved images of the Narasimha (the Lord with lion’s face & claws and a human body, to rescue Prahlad from Hiranyakashipu) and Trivikrama (also known as Vamana Avatar, the short-heighted person, to rescue the world from the King Bali) avataras of Lord Vishnu. There are also murals illustrating the divine marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

Cave Temple 4

The fourth cave temple is basically related to the 6th century Jainism. It has many carved images of Jain Tirthankars. In the sanctum santorum, Lord Mahavira is depicted in a sitting posture. It also contains a carving of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha (with a serpent at his feet).

The upper portion of Badami Caves offers a panoramic view of ‘Agasthya Lake’. The entire area including Bhootnath Temple Complex and Northern Hill looks breathtakingly beautiful from the top of Badami Caves.

Best Time to Visit Badami

It’s better to visit Badami during the winter season from October to March. The climate is pleasant during these months. In the rest of the months, intense heat makes it unbearable to visit the fort, caves and temples.

How to Reach Badami?

Badami is situated in Bagalkot District of Karnataka, 35 km away from the district headquarter. The major neighbouring towns/cities include Bijapur/Vijaypura (120 km), Gadag (70 km), Hubbali/Hubli (100 km) and Hospet/Hosapete (130 km). It is approx 420 km away from Hyderabad and 450 km from Bengaluru.

By Air

There is no airport in Badami. Nearby major airports are located in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Hubbali Airport (Airport Code: HBX) in Hubbali (Hubli, 100 km) is another significant airport in the near vicinity and served by domestic flights from many cities in India. Belgaum Airport (142 km, Airport Code: IXG) is also served by few domestic flights.

By Train

A railway station (Station Code: BDM) is there in Badami, about 4 km away from the town. Direct trains are available from the cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Varanasi etc. Many trains running between Hubli and Bijapur junction stops at Badami station. Gadag (Station Code: GDG), Hosapete (Station Code: HPT), Hubbali (Station Code: UBL) and Vijaypura (Station Code: BJP) are other major railway stations located near Badami.

By Road

Government public buses operate from Badami to Bagalkot, Gadag, Vijaypura and Hubbali which are further connected to the notable cities of India by the road and rail networks. These buses may not be available at the frequent intervals, so check the departure time to arrange your travel accordingly.

Bus From Bengaluru to Badami

At least five buses departs from Majestic Anand Rao Circle in Bengaluru to Badami in the evening between 08.00 PM to 11.00 PM. All buses (Non AC Sleeper) are operated by the private operators and tickets can be booked online. It takes 10 hours to reach Badami and fare varies from Rs 600 to Rs 800.

No government bus is operated by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) from Bengaluru to Badami. But, KSRTC operates two buses (Non AC Sleeper at 07.45 PM, Fare Rs 930 and RAJAHAMSA EXECUTIVE 09.00 PM, Fare Rs 750) from Bengaluru to Bagalkot. From Bagalkot, you can get another bus to Badami.

Bus From Hyderabad to Badami

I travelled Badami from Hyderabad. There is no direct bus available from Hyderabad to Badami. But, There are at least five public buses between Hyderabad and Bagalkot. These buses are operated by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and can be booked online at the KSRTC website. These buses take approx. 11 hours for this journey and fare is dependent on the bus category (KARNATAKA SARIGE, two buses daily at 1530 Hrs and 2016 Hrs from Hyderabad Mahatma Gandhi Bus Stand (MG Bus Stand), Fare: INR 380 approx., MEGHADHOOTA AC, one bus daily at 2115 Hrs and 1000 Hrs from Hyderabad MG Bus Stand, Fare: INR 650 approx.,RAJAHAMSA EXECUTIVE, two buses daily at 1800 Hrs and 2005 Hrs from Hyderabad MG Bus Stand, Fare: INR 550 approx.). From Bagalkot, there are frequent public buses available at every hour to Badami.

Bus From Hampi to Badami

No direct bus is available from Hampi to Badami. You can get a bus from Hampi to Hosapete. From Hosapete, get another bus or a train to Gadag. From Gadag, you can get a direct train or bus to Badami.

Bus From Badami to Mumbai

A direct bus is also available from Badami to Mumbai (588 km). It starts from Badami at 05.00 PM and reaches Mumbai Kurla Stand at 09.00 AM via Bagalkot, Bijapur, Sholapur, Pune and Panvel. A direct bus also operates between Hosapete and Mumbai.

Where to Stay in Badami?

Badami is a small town, but offers sufficient range of accommodation options:

Hotel Mayura Chalukya operated by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is the best available budget option in Badami. It is located at Ramdurg Road, about 1 km from Badami Caves. The room tariff is Rs 999 for Non-AC Semi Deluxe Double Room, Rs 1450 for AC Semi Deluxe Double Room and Rs 2350 for AC Deluxe Double Room. The rooms can be booked over phone (Mob: 8970650024 and 8357220046).

Krishna Heritage Badami is a luxurious 3-star property on Ramdurg Road, 2.5 km from Badami Caves. The prices for Single Room Executive Cottages are Rs 5000 plus taxes and for Double Room Executive Cottages are Rs 7000 plus taxes.

Hotel Badami Court on Station Road (2.5 km from Badami Caves) is another beautiful property. Room tariff starts from Rs 2500 plus taxes.

Hotel Clarks Inn (500 m), The Heritage Resort (2.5 km) and Hotel Rajsangam International (1 km) are other luxurious properties in Badami. All distances are from Badami Caves.

Apart from these, you can find many budget hotels and guest houses (Prices vary from Rs 700 to Rs 1500) near the bus stand. Few budget guest houses are also available on the street near Badami Caves.

What Else Can You Cover From Badami?

Apart from the extraordinary ruins of Vijayanagar Empire in Hampi, there are few other places, where you can plan an excursion from Badami. Some of these places are:

Badami to Pattadakal

Pattadakal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the group of about nine temples, surrounded by many minor shrines and plinths, represents the climax of early Western Chalukyan Architecture. UNESCO has described Pattadakal as “a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India” and an illustration of “eclectic art” at its height.

It is about 22 km from Badami. Shared auto-rickshaws are available from Badami to Pattadakal.

Badami to Aihole

Aihole village is a place of great heritage and religious interest containing several temples within its boundary walls that enclose an area of over 400 meters in length. These temples are not only inside that boundary, but the whole Aihole village is covered by temples, where many more structures scattered in the open fields. In all there are about 125 temples at this place, big and small, most of them in old and ruined condition. In the words of Percy Brown it is;‘One of the cradles of Temple Architecture’.

It is about 12 km from Pattadakal and 34 km from Badami. Not so frequent Shared auto-rickshaws and buses are available from Badami and Pattadakal to Aihole.

You can hire an auto-rickshaw from Badami for a day-long trip to Badami Caves, Pattadakal and Aihole. The price for a full day auto-rickshaw varies from Rs 600 to Rs 800. A car can be hired at the cost of Rs 2500-Rs 3500 for a full day trip to Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.

Badami to Bijapur

Bijapur (now Vijayapura) is famous for the Gol Gumbaz (the circular dome). Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum of king Muhammad Adil Shah from Adil Shah Dynasty. The circular dome of this mausoleum is considered as the second largest dome in the world.

Vijayapura is about 120 km from Badami. A direct bus is not available, but you can travel from Badami to Bagalkot (35 km) or Kerur (24 km). From there, you can get a direct bus. The best way to travel is by a train. There are at least 10 trains in a day between Badami and Vijayapura.

Today, Badami looks like a small town built around the ancient ruins. After walking through the adjacent lanes, it appears like a hamlet of miserable souls, who struggle daily for their bread and butter. It is hard to believe that Badami was once the magnificent capital of the mighty Chalukyan Empire, that ruled over a vast area in the Southern India. The everlasting glory of Badami is recognizable either by the history books or a simple walk through its ancient ruins.