My niece and her husband visited us in our country home during recent Easter holidays. I was planning to take them for an outing in the countryside but some one suggested me to take them for sight seeing trip to visit famous Aihole, Pattdakal and Badami.
These are early fourth to seventh century temples and four magnificent stone carved caves at Badami. These are spread over an area of about 30 Km. and about 60 Km from my place in north Karnataka. The monuments are well preserved under the care of ASI and Karntaka Tourism.
We set out early after breakfast and reached Aihle at 11 AM.
I.AIHOLE TEMPLES:
Sun Temple( Soorya Narayana Temple)
DurgTemple (Fort Temple)
Meguti Temple
and others with funny names and no deities.
There is a museum at Aihole comlex giving a brief about the area and well preserved monuments consisting of deities mostly.
II. PATTADAKAL:
Important temples at Pattadakal are:
1. Kasi Viswanatha Temple
2. Mallikarjuna Temple
3. Galaganatha Temple
4. Virupaksha Temple
5. Kadasiddeswara and Jambulinga temples
6. Papanatha temple
III. MAHAKOOTA
This place is sacred to Hindu Lingayats second most sacred place after Kasi or Varanasi.
There is pond where-in water constantly springs forth mainataining the same level. They say taking a dip in the pond is as holy as taking a dip in Kasi-Ganges.
IV. BADAMI:
There are four stone cut caves on the hill by the side Badami town. From the caves one can see Bhootanatha Temple across the lake.
