BELUR CHENNAKESHAVA TEMPLE

Temples in South India have achieved marked excellencerecogni sed universally. The modern world, which places considerable importance on the achievements and benefits of technology, often finds it hard to comprehend the exemplary work that has gone into the making of beautiful temples and monuments by the sweat of the brow…

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THE SHIVA TEMPLE AT MAHAKUTA

The period starting from the 5th century till the 8th century A.D., witnessed a brisk temple building activity around Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal – all in the Bijapur district of Karnataka. The movement initiated several significant forms of temples, which later developed into characteristic Nagara and Dravidian styles. Of the…

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THE TEMPLE OF BANASHANKARI AT BADAMI

The region neighboring the southern parts of Badami in the Bijapur district of Karnataka begins from the Sitimati hills. The landscape is typically that of gnesiss and granite, with irregular rock exposures separated by black soil. Locked in-between two gorges, Badami was the flourishing capital in the Chalukyan days, as…

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PATTADAKAL TEMPLES

On the left bank of Malaprabha river lies the world heritage centre of Pattadakal. Like Aihole and Badami, Pattadakal is noteworthy for its beautiful early Western Chalukyan temples. They belong to the time of Vikramaditya II (whose art loving queen Trailokyamahadevi reverently named the deity after herself). Pattadakal, or ‘Pattada…

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THE CAVE TEMPLES AT BADAMI

Situated picturesquely at the foot of two hills and a beautiful expansive tank, Badami is a small town in Bijapur district of Karnataka, which is now an important tourist centre. Badami, under the name of Vatapi was the capital of the Chalukyas in the sixth century. It is famous lor…

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AIHOLE TEMPLES – Peep Into The Past

Off the beaten track of modern progress, situated in Bijapur district of Karnataka, on the banks of the Malaprabha river, is a squalid little village known as Aihole, originally known as Ayyavole. The place name has a legendary origin and is associated with Parashurama, who having destroyed the whole race…

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