Badami Caves: The Early Chalukya Rock Temples of Karnataka

On the wall of one cave at Badami, a Sanskrit inscription gives a date that works out to 578 CE. Very few early Indian monuments can be dated that precisely. The Badami Caves, four shrines cut into a red sandstone cliff above Agastya Lake in northern Karnataka, hold some of the earliest mature Hindu temple sculpture in South India, and they are an easy day trip from Hampi.

The town itself is small. Most visitors spend a day on the caves and the lake, look at the temples across the water, and move on to Aihole and Pattadakal the next morning. Here is who made the caves, what to look for in each one, and how to plan the visit.

Who built the Badami Caves?

The caves were made under the Early Chalukya dynasty, which ruled much of the Deccan between the sixth and eighth centuries. Their capital was Vatapi, the old name of Badami. The dynasty was founded by Pulakeshin I, and its best-known king was Pulakeshin II, who ruled from about 610 to 642 CE. He extended Chalukya power from the Narmada in the north to the Kaveri in the south, and defeated the northern emperor Harshavardhana on the banks of the Narmada, a battle usually dated to around 618 CE (some historians place it a decade or more later).

The firmest date at the site comes from Cave 3. Its inscription records that it was completed in 578 CE, in the reign of Kirtivarman I, and names his younger brother Mangalesha (the uncle of Pulakeshin II) in connection with the work. Caves 1 and 2 are usually dated to the late sixth century as well, though which king paid for each is less certain. Cave 4, the Jain cave, is a little later.

Cave 1: the eighteen-armed Nataraja

Cave 1 is the lowest of the four and the first you reach as you climb. It is dedicated to Shiva. Step in from the sunlight, let your eyes adjust, and look to the right of the entrance: there is a Nataraja, Shiva as the dancer, with eighteen arms. Each hand holds a different gesture or object, and the arm positions are often read as a sequence of dance poses rather than a single frozen moment.

Look also for Harihara (half Shiva, half Vishnu) and Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati). Two large guardian figures stand at the doorway, and the small sanctum at the back holds a Shiva linga.

Cave 2: Trivikrama and Varaha

Cave 2, a little further up, is dedicated to Vishnu. The two big panels on the walls of the entrance porch are the ones to see. On one side is Trivikrama, the giant form Vishnu took to cross the three worlds in three strides and humble the demon king Bali; his raised leg fills the panel from floor to ceiling. On the other is Varaha, the boar avatar, lifting the earth goddess out of the cosmic ocean.

What the Chalukya sculptors did well was give their gods weight. These figures have shoulders, thighs and a sense of balance, so Trivikrama really looks as if he is mid-stride. That sense of mass is unusual in Indian sculpture this early.

Cave 3: the largest and best dated

Cave 3 is the biggest of the four and the one most visitors remember. It is dedicated to Vishnu and carries the 578 CE inscription. The verandah rests on massive pillars carved on every face, and the ceiling is carved with lotus medallions.

The large panels along the hall walls are the main reason to come. You will find:

Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha (Anantashayana), one of the finest early versions of this image.
Narasimha, the man-lion avatar.
A second Varaha, more dramatic than the one in Cave 2.
A larger Trivikrama.

Spend time on the brackets and pillars too. They carry small reliefs of couples, dancers and scenes from myth that are easy to miss if you only look at the big panels.

Cave 4: the Jain cave

Cave 4 is the smallest and plainest, and the highest up the cliff. It is dedicated to the Jain tirthankaras. The main image is Mahavira, the twenty-fourth tirthankara, seated in meditation. On the walls you can see Parshvanatha, the twenty-third, with a serpent hood over his head, and Bahubali, son of the first tirthankara, standing in such long penance that creepers have grown up his legs.

The Chalukya kings were Hindus, but Jainism had been strong in Karnataka for centuries and they supported it openly. Having a Jain cave on the same cliff as three Hindu ones was normal for the period, not an exception.

Badami Caves and the Chalukya style of temple building

Badami matters for more than its sculpture. The Early Chalukyas were working out a temple style that mixed northern (Nagara) and southern (Dravida) features, which later writers often call Vesara or simply Chalukyan. You can follow the experiment across three sites close together: early temples at Aihole (a village with over a hundred small temples), the rock-cut caves and structural temples at Badami, and the large free-standing temples at Pattadakal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

These three are often called the Chalukya triangle. With a car you can see all three in a long day, which lets you watch a style change from one site to the next. Later builders, from the Rashtrakutas at Ellora to the Hoysalas at Belur and Halebidu, drew on what was worked out here. Ajanta and Ellora are more famous cave sites, but Badami is where you see the Deccan’s Hindu rock-cut temple in an early, fully confident form.

Agastya Lake and the Bhutanatha temples

The caves look down on Agastya Lake. On the far side of the water is the Bhutanatha group, a cluster of Shiva shrines built in stages over several centuries. The view across the lake from the upper caves, especially in late afternoon, is the best at the site, and the walk along the lake edge to Bhutanatha is worth the extra hour.

How to visit Badami

Badami is in Bagalkot district. The nearest airports are Hubballi (about 100 km) and Belagavi (about 155 km). Badami has its own railway station on the line between Hubballi-Gadag and Solapur, and Bengaluru is roughly 450 to 500 km away by road.

The caves are open every day, usually from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. The fee has been around 40 rupees for Indian visitors and 600 rupees for foreign visitors, but ASI fees change, so check before you go.

October to February is the best season; summer afternoons on the bare rock are very hot. Go early in the morning, when the light reaches into the caves and the crowds are thin. Wear shoes with grip, because the climb from the base is roughly a hundred stone steps, and keep a hand on your bag: the monkeys at Badami know what a snack packet looks like.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many caves are there at Badami?

There are four main caves. Caves 1, 2 and 3 are Hindu (one for Shiva, two for Vishnu) and Cave 4 is Jain.

Are the Badami Caves a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

No. Badami is on India’s UNESCO Tentative List along with Aihole, while nearby Pattadakal has been a World Heritage Site since 1987.

How much time do you need at Badami?

Two to three hours covers the four caves. Add a couple of hours for the lake and the Bhutanatha temples, and a full extra day if you want to see Aihole and Pattadakal properly.

Sources and Further Reading

Archaeological Survey of India website (asi.nic.in)
George Michell, The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms, University of Chicago Press
Gary Tarr, “Chronology and Development of the Chalukya Cave Temples”, Ars Orientalis
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Pattadakal nomination file