Badami , formerly known as Vatapi , is a panchayat town in the Bagalkot District of Karnataka , India . It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake.

Etymology

The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya . There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a queer way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its flesh to the guest. As soon as the person ate the flesh , Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi, as he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland, and Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him.. Their tricks worked until Sage Agastya counter tricked them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him and thus ended the life of Vatapi in the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.

History

Badami was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. It was founded in 540 A.D. by Pulakesi I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas . His sons Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including Pallava king Mahendra Verman I and extended the kingdom.

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism , Buddhism and Jainism . cave 1 is devoted to Shiva , and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu , whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras . Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarman I (also called Mamalla Pallava) seized it in 642 A.D. Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 A.D. and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram , the capital of Pallavas. The Rashtrakutas absorbed karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. The later Chalukyas of Kalyani defeated them and were able to keep region from 973 A.D. to 1189 A.D., when it was occupied by the Hoysalas .

Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire , The Adil Shahis, The Savanur Nawabs, The Marathas, Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

Insciptions

Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakesi I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesa in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. one inscription near the Bhutanatha temple, on a rock, testifies to Mamalla Pallava's victory over the Chalukyas in the year 642 CE. It also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.

Geography

Badami is located at 15.92° N 75.68° E . It has an average elevation of 586  metres (1922  feet ). It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.

It is located 128 kilometers from Bijapur , 132 kilometers from Hubli , 46 kilometers from Aihole , another ancient town, and 500 kilometers from Bangalore , the state capital.

Early (6th century):

Cave 1
Cave 2
Cave 3
Cave 4

Late (11th century):

Bhutanatha Temple Group
Mallikarjuna Temple Group
Yellamma Temple

Other :

Scenic views of the tank and cliffs
Small Buddhist Cave

Around Badami:-

Banashankari (5 Km ) En rout to Badami is a quaint hamlet taking its name from the goddess Banashankari Built in Dravidian style , the temple is dedicated to Banshankari , a form of Parvati highly received by Weaver community . The idol depicts the powerful eight - armed goddess seated on a snarling Lion . There is a large pond in front of the temple called Harida Theerta , which is enclosed on three sides by stone mantapas with inner colonnades . The annual temple festival in Banasankari is more than a religious event . During this time the street around the temple are taken over by a huge fair , marked by color and gaiety and attended by thousands of devotees

Mahakuta ( 14 Kms ) Once a great center of Shaiva cult Mahakuta is surrounded by hills The Mahakuteswara Temple dedicated to Shiva is built in Dravidian Style and features a natural spring called Vishnu Pushkarni . The temple is surrounded by several small shrines with a wealth of carving on their walls . There are also a few Shiva Temples in Mahakuta dating back to the Chalukyan era.

Distance:-	502 km North West of Bangalore
By Road: -	11 hours
By Rail:-	8 hour and 2 hours by road
Route:-	Take NH4 to Hubli via Chitradurga, Davangere and Haveri then NH218 to Kulgeri via Navalgund, then Badami.
When to go:-	Between September and February.
Tourist offices:-	KSTDC(bookings and info) Badami House, NR Square, Bangalore Tel: 080-2275869, Fax: 2352626 Email: kstdc@vsnl.in
Where to stay :-	Badami Court (Tel: 08357-720230-33; Teriff: Rs 1,400-1900). Hotel Mookambika Deluxe (Tel: 08357-720067/637; Tariff: Rs 300-950) Hotel Mayura Chalukya (Tel: 08357-720046;Tariff: Rs 190-340) Hotel Anand Deluxe (Tel:08357-720074; Tariff: Rs 120-250) Shri Laxmi Vilas Hotel Tonga Stand, Station Road, Bagalkot - 587 201 Tel: 08357-220077 Tariff: Rs. 100/-to Rs. 300/-
Where to Eat :-	Pulikeshi Restaurant (24 Hrs.) Vatapi Kanchana Garden Restaurant Mayura Chalukya