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Temples and Monuments of Karnataka

Badami Caves


The capital of the Early Chalukyas, Badami is picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, Badami is famous for its cave temples - all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.

Badami is an interesting place to visit in Karnataka what with its artificial lake, ancient temples, Museum and Hindu and Jain caves carved in the Sandstone hills. The largest and most ornamental is the third cave temple dedicated to Vishnu.

Overlooking the cave temples is a reservoir dotted with temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. Also a must are the Bhutanath temples that lend their name to the lake beneath the cave temples. The main attractions of Badami are the caves found there.

  • The caves found here are :
    Badami Caves - Karnatka

    Cave 1 - The first cave made of red sandstone, dates back to 578 A.D. and was probably the first to be carved. One has to climb up 40 odd steps to reach the colonnaded verandah, a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum hollowed in the control back wall. Column shafts are masterfully crafted. On the ceiling one can see the paintings of amorous couples. Shiva and his consort Parvati, and a coiled serpent. The 18-armed lord Nataraja can be seen in 81 dancing poses.

    Cave 2 - Dedicated to lord Vishnu depicted here as a dwarf or 'Trivikrama' of awesome dimensions with one foot mastering the Earth and the other the sky, the second cave is atop a sandstone hill. Vishnu here is depicted as a dwarf or. Another form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha' or as a boar. Then there is a frieze endearingly depicting Vishnu as Lord Krishna.

    Cave 3 - Still going higher up one comes across this cave antedating 578 A.D. The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, on the plinth one can see the carvings of ganas. The sheer artistry and sculptural genius makes this cave the highlight of Deccan art. It gives a virtual insight into the art and culture of the 6th century like costumes, jewelry hairstyle lifestyle etc. The other attractions to be looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu with a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha (Vishnu as Man-Lion) Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu as Trivikrama.

    Cave 4 - The only Jain cave, the construction of Cave four started in the 6th century and completed after nearly 100 years later then the earlier three caves. Here one can see the carvings of the Tirthankara Parshavnatha with a serpent at his feet; Mahavira in a sitting posture also can be seen in the shrine.

 

Bidar Fort

  • Bidar Fort - Karnatka

    In medieval times Bidar belonged to the Chalukyan branch who established their capital in 977 A.D. at Kalyani, 57 kms away. Falling to the Yadavas of Devagiri (Daulatabad) and to the Kakatiyas of Warangal in 1322 A.D., Bidar fully rose to prominence under the sultanate regime.

    The imposing fort of Bidar is a magnificent fort, the main gateway of which was originally built by Bahamani Sultan Ahmad Shah Wali in 1429 AD. Further improvements to the citadel were carried out by the Barid Shahi Sultans. Ahmad Shah Wali (1422 - 35) the ninth Bahamani Sultan decided to shift his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar for reasons of health.

    Palaces, pavilions and seraglios; lush gardens, decorated fountains and perfumed baths have all the trappings of an Arabian Nights fantasy when Bidar was ruled by the Bahamanis and the Barid Shahi Sultans of the Deccan.

    Sprawled on a plateau 2,200 feet above sea level and overlooking the Manjira River Valley, cool and exhilarating Bidar was most certainly a part of ancient Vidharba mentioned in the Mahabharata.

  • How to get there ?

    This place is accessible by Rail and Road.

 

Bull Temple

  • Bull Temple - Karnatka

    The Bull Temple situated in Bangalore , houses the 4.57 m high and 6.10 m long image of Nandi, Lord Shiva's bull. The temple was built by KempeGowda in the 16th century. The image has been carved out of single granite rock.

    The original colour of Nandi bull was grey which has now turned black due to the application of coconut oil by the devotees. The statue of the bull has been carved out of a The single rock statue attracts devotees from far and near. Non Hindus are not allowed in the temple.

    The temple is busy always with some ceremony that is on all the time at the temple premises. On weekends, musicians present their concerts at the temple.

 

Gulbarga Fort

  • Gulbarga fort, originally built by Raja Gulchand was later strengthened by Ala-ud-din Bahmani. The fort contained 15 towers and 26 guns of which one was 8 metres long. Within the ramparts of the fort, there is an imposing mosque, which resembles the great mosque of Cordova in Spain.

    This mosque is the only one of its kind in the entire country. Several tombs of the Bahmani Sultans can be found in the eastern outskirts of the town. The imposing fort of Gulbarga has witnessed many a battle and suffered many an onslaught. Razed to the ground by Krishna Devaraya of Vijaynagar, it rose like a phoenix when Adil Shah undertook its repair with booty captured from Vijaynagar.

  • How to get there ?

    Gulbarga is connected by rail and road facilities with almost all the important towns and cities in the state.


    Kudremukh

    Kudremukh - Karnatka

    The Horse-Face Hill Station 95 kms south-west of Chikmaglur town is the Kudremukh (Horse Face) range, so named because of the unique shape of the Kudremukh Peak.

    Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the broad hills are chained to one another with deep valleys and steep precipices. As yet 'undiscovered' by tourists, Kudremukh is a secluded hill station, which retains much of its pristine, natural beauty.

    And a holiday here can be truly delightful. Lush green forests interspersed with rivers, grassy slopes, captivating cascades and rare orchids providing an idyllic background for trekking.

    Kudremukh is trekker's territory with the richness of its flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. Situated 1,894.3 m above sea level, Kudremukh is rich in iron ore deposits.

    The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company conducts mining operations and transportation of the ore as slurry, through a pipeline to the port at Panambur near Mangalore.

    This has given new life to the region and converted this isolated tract into a humming modern township without taking away its natural beauty.

  • Excursions :

    Gangamoola - In Samse Taluk of Chikmaglur district, the Gangamoola Hill is surrounded by thick forests. Three important rivers, the Tunga, the Bhadra and the Nethravathi have their origin here. A shrine of Goddess Bhagavathi and a Varaha image measuring 1.8 m within a cave, are the chief attractions. This cave is inaccessible during the monsoons.

    Jamalabad Fort - Jamalabad is famous for its fort built by Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore in 1794. The fort was renamed after his mother Jamalbee. The village, which lies at the foot of a high rock, forms a part of the Kudremukh range of hills near Belthangadi.

  • How to get there ?

    Rail - Nearest rail head is Mangalore.

    Road - Kudremukh is connected by road to Chikmaglur, Mangalore and Sringeri.

 

  • Mysore Palace

    Mysore Palace - Karnatka

    The Mysore Palace, built is Indo-Saracenic style with domes turrets, arches and colonnades, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. The tastefully decorated and inticrately carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms.

    The palace has now been converted into a museum, which treasures the souvenirs, paintings, jewellery, royal costumes and other items, which were once possessed by the Wodeyars. It is said that the palace displays the largest collection of gold items, quantity wise. The Durbar hall of the palace has an ornate ceiling and many sculpture pillars which are said to have been painted with gold.

    The walls of the palace are painted with pictures of the Dassera processions and these paintings are painted in such a manner that from any angle you can see the procession coming towards you. The royal throne of the Wodeyars is displayed during the Dassera festival. The palace was originally built of wood, which got burnt down in 1897 AD and was rebuilt in 1912 AD.

  • The Palace Lit-up :

    This profusely decorated and gilded palace is illuminated every Sundays and on holidays.

 

  • Tipu's Fort

    Tipu's Fort - Karnatka

    Situated opposite the city market, Tipu's Fort is known for the beautifully carved arches in Islamic style on the gate walls. Originally built in mud by Kempe Gowda in 1537 AD, the fort was extended and fortified by Tipu Sultan. Kempe Gowda built a brick and mud defence structure on this site in 1537 AD.

    In the 18th century, it was solidly rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. It's a sturdy, little fort, though much of it was destroyed during the wars with the British. The fort is well known for the well-preserved Ganapathi Temple within its precincts and it still attracts many devotees. One of the temple's outer walls carries an exquisite carving of Sri Krishna playing his flute.

    In this fort, Tipu's father Hyder Ali imprisoned David Baird along with a number of British army officers.

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