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Badami's supremacy set in stone

Fifth cave with 27 ancient carvings discovered

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A fifth cave with 27 rock carvings has been discovered at Badami by a team of archaeologists.

The carvings, wall friezes depicting Vishnu in various poses, has excited archaeologists. The cave, part of the temple complex at Badami, can be reached using a mud road, and is located on top of a huge boulder, from which a stream of water gushes round the year.

The friezes also depict Hindu deities Veerabhadra, Kaali, Ganapathi, Eswara, Sheshashayana and Ugra Narasimha on chariots, which according to archaeologists is a rare phenomenon. The cave also features a mantap (rock-cut pavilion), apparently used for worshipping the deities.

Archeologists expressed their surprise at the absence of the  varaha emblem of the Chalukyas, the dynasty responsible for the erection of the cave temples, on the stone carvings.

Manjunath Sullolli, assistant director (information), who played an important role in discovering the new carvings, believes that in the days of yore, sages performed penance on a huge hillock near the cave. Dr Shilakantha Pattar, a historian, says the archeology department has to take urgent steps to preserve the cave.

Once the capital of the Chalukya dynasty, Badami is an ancient town situated in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka.

Situated at an average elevation of 1922 ft above sea level, Badami is tucked in between two rugged sandstone outcrops. The town lies surrounding the 5th century Agastya Tirtha Lake, a holy lake famous for the healing property of its water.

What’s in a name? Badami was earlier known by the name Vatapi, which is believed to be related to the legend of the demon Vatapi, associated with Sage Agastya. According to another story, Badami got its name from the Badam (almond) colour of the sandstone present at the location.

What can you see at Badami?

Badami is acknowledged for being the ancient kingdom of the Chalukya Dynasty, who observed the architectural expansion at Badami. The cave temples stand as shining examples of Chalukyan style of architecture. Made out of sandstone hills, Badami cave temples boast of rock-cut architecture.

In totality, there are four cave temples in Badami. Out of the four cave temples, one is dedicated to Lord Shiva, two to Lord Vishnu, and another to the Jain Tirthankaras. All these temples enclose brilliant carvings with the sculptures of deities from the Hindu pantheon.

The structure of these temples is a perfect fusion of North Indian Nagara style and South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. Each cave embraces a sanctum, a hall, a verandah and pillars. The walls also have ancient inscriptions that date back to the 6th and 8th centuries.

Among the many artistic wall friezes present at the temples in Badami, the most prominent are the sandstone cave temples.

Rich in culture, another popular religious attraction at Badami are the Bhoothnatha temples situated near the Agastya Tirtha Lake. One can spend days admiring the shrines in Badami dedicated to Goddess Yellamma, Mallikarjuna, Dattatreya and Virupaksha.

Badami Fort, built by Tipu Sultan, whose palaces are known for their architecture, is yet another historic monument in Badami. This fort, situated en route to the rock-cut cave temples, can be reached only by a steep climb.

The first four temples of Badami

The origin of the first cave can be traced back to 578 AD, according to archaeologists. The man-made cave was carved out of red sandstone, with an open verandah, a hall and a sanctum. The ceilings and pillars are festooned with paintings of amorous couples. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the cave adorns not less than 81 sculptures of Lord Shiva in the form of ‘Nataraj’, having 18 arms.

The second cave can be sited at the summit of a sandstone hill. In this cave Lord Vishnu is presented in the form of a ‘Trivikrama’ (dwarf), where one of his feet is commanding the Earth and the other is mastering the sky.

Perched on the hill, the third cave temple has a platform carved with the images of ‘ganas’. The structure of the temple rejuvenates the memoirs of Deccan style of architecture. This temple is a fine example of the artistic quality and sculptural genius. Here, Lord Vishnu is represented in his various incarnations, including Narsimha, Varaha, Harihara and Trivikarma.

The fourth cave temple is accredited for being dedicated to Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of the Jains. It finds its origin in the 7th century, about 100 years after the construction of the previous caves. In this shrine, one can see the image of Lord Mahavira in a sitting posture.

Sources: culturalindia.netkarnataka.com

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