Badami, Karnataka
6 Reasons to Visit Badami, Karnataka. Many of you have heard about Badami. Badami was not much explored earlier by tourists, but in the last decade people visiting Badami has increased. Badami is famous for Badami Cave Temples. Badami is a town located in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is located around 146kms from Belgaum city. The main attraction is sandstone caves and carvings. The cave temples, forts and the scenic landscape attracts many photography enthusiasts. 5kms from Badami there is a temple of Banashankri Devi in Cholachagudda. Badami is considered as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO that constitute Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal and is the finest example of traditional temple architecture in India. The best period to visit Badami is from October to April.
Places to visit in Badami:
1. Cave Temples
2. Agastya lake
3. Badami Fort
4. Pataddakal
5. Aihole
6. Banashankri Temple
Sandstone Caves and Temples
Badami is the centre of ancient Chalukyan glory with its temples dating back to the 6th Century. Cave 3 in Badami is dedicated to Lord Vishnu which is the largest cave temple in India. All the structures here are made from sandstone that provide a lovely contrast to the blue skies and the beautiful Agastya Lake that is adjacent to the caves. In the year 2015, another cave was discovered which was half a kilometres from the cave complex which has over 27 Hindu carvings.
The caves are numbered based on the age of construction:
Cave 1: A beautiful flight of stairs lead you to this one. This is a Shiva temple with the sculptures of Shiva, Ganesha and Karthikeya on the walls of the cave. Lord Shiva is the family deity of the Chulaukya royal family.
Cave 2: This cave temple is located 64 steps from Cave 1 and is a Vishnu temple.
Cave 3: Located 60 steps higher than Cave 2, this is the largest cave in the complex and is a Vishnu Temple. The sculpture here is half Vishnu and half Shiva and this has caused great interest to the studies of Shaivism.
Cave 4: This is located 2 m lower than Cave 3 and is the smallest cave temple in the complex.
Mode of travelling:
The nearest airport is at Belgaum (150 kms). Badami can only be accessed by road and rail and is connected to all major cities. There is small railway station in Badami where trains from cities like Bangalore and Bijapur halt regularly. This town can also be accessed by bus, with the bus stand being located in the centre of the town. You can also drive there if you want a road trip.
Restaurants and Places to stay:
There are multiple private hotels and also KSRTC hotels in Badami for the tourists to stay.
Badami has a surprisingly flattering platter, which is simpler in structure, yet quite delicious. The key elements of the food here are Rice, Ragi, Jowar, Urad Dal, Jaggery and Coconut. Also there are restaurants to dine in which serve many different types of cuisines