Badami is a newer name for the once Vatapipura, the once capital of the Badami Chalukyas. The town is situated about 150 kms north west of the globally renowned Hampi, the glorious capital of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire.
Badami is located in northern Karnataka. As you approach the town, the highways hit long ranges of hills, announcing it’s arrival.
Badami, together with Pattadakal and Aihole, along the Malaprabha river constitute the rich legacy of the Badami Chalukas. The architectural styles seen in Badami Cave Temples and other structures in Badami are echoed in the temples of Pattadakal and Aihole. This shared aesthetic demonstrates the continuity of artistic expression under the Badami Chalukya rule.
Aihole is known as the “Cradle of Chalukya Architecture. It served as an experimental ground for temple architecture, with various styles and structures built during the Chalukya period. Pattadakal, on the other hand, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing a blend of northern and southern architectural influences,
Places to visit in Badami
Being the capital of the Chalukyas, Badami still has remnants of its one time glory. It as been nearly 1.5 millennium since that time!
In the town though, most of what is left is concentrated around the famous man made lake called the Agastya Lake, which perhaps dates to around 5th to 6th century BC.
The main structures to see here are the Bhootanath temple, make the Badami Fort trek, the 4 famous Badami rock cut cave temples and the Archeological Museum.
Since they are colocated, it is possible to comfortably cover all of them in a single full day. Of course, there are places that you may visit outside of this concentration as well – but, visiting all these structures will give you a fantastic and satisfying experience.
How may days are required to visit Badami?
1 day. Plan to spend a full day covering the town. You should reach the previous evening if possible, take a night’s rest and then spend the next day covering the important places.
What is the best way to plan your day in Badami?
Badami is a relatively warm / hot place. As the day progresses, the temperature rises and it can become uncomfortable to spend too much of time outdoors. So it is best to take the temperature into consideration as you plan out the day.
Hence, preferably leave your hotel for the visit to the lake and its neighbourhood early in the day, say around 7 AM. It will be a good idea to carry a bottle of water with you.
First stop: Badami Fort Trek
Begin the day from the Agastya Lake, entering into the Badami Fort. The steps will lead you to the large entrance to the fort. The trek will take you through a series of ancient structures and foresaken temples. Notably the Upper and Lower Shivalayas.
The trek will take you about 1 – 1.5 hours. The climb is moderately exerting. The elderly and the not so fit may find it a bit challenging.
READ More about the Badami Fort Trek
Second stop: Bhootanath Temple
As you descend back from the steps of the Badami fort, the path will take you to the Bhootanath temple, along the Agastya Lake. The temple complex is actually a site to behold! On your way to the complex, beware of the monkeys and take care of things you are carrying with you.
The Bhootanath Temple is actually a group of temples carved from red sandstone that were constructed in phases at different times in history. The construction was started by the Badami Chalukyas in the 7th century AD and then later augmented by the Kalyani Chalukyas.
The Bhootanath group comprises two main clusters: the East Bhutanatha group and the North Bhutanatha group. The East Bhutanatha group features the largest temple with an open rectangular mandapa (hall) leading to a sanctum sanctorum.
Third stop: Have a quick breakfast
By this time, you will see the temperature becoming uncomfortable gradually. It will be a good idea to depart from the lake and have a good, sound though, not heavy breakfast in one of the darshinis or restaurants in the main market place.
Perhaps a Masala Dosa along with a cup of coffee will fuel you up enough to sustain for the next leg of the day!
Fourth stop: The Cave Temples
Finally, the last leg will bring you to the world famous cave temples of Badami. The temples carved out of the mountain will leave you mermerised. Just the thought of the builders, craftsmen 1,300 years back leave you speechless!
The cave temples are cut into the mountains, so the interiors are cool. There are not many monkeys on this part of the mountains.
In all there are 4 cave temples at progressive heights as you climb up the mountain. The climb is perhaps around 350-400 steps but, are not super-arduous. However, the earlier climb on the Badami Fort trek could make you a bit tired. Take your time, rest along the climb and as you ascend.
Tickets to the cave temples
Just before the steps to ascend the cave temples, there is a government ticket counter. You may pay in cash and get physical tickets as also scan a displayed QR code and play via UPI and get virtual tickets. The tickets cost INR 30 for Indian tourists and INR 500 for foreign tourists.
First Cave Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva
As you begin your climb, you reach the first temple that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is cut quite deep into the mountain. On the right wall of the entrance is an amazing carving of Nataraja (Lord Shiva in a dancing form).
In this form, Nataraja has 18 arms to his right and left. Each of his arms has a particular Bharatnatyam mudra. Apparently Bharatnatyam has 81 hand mudras. It is said that any 2 hands of Nataraja taken together was one of the 81 Bharatnatyam forms! The carving is 5 feet tall.
There are also other carvings of Harihara and Ardhanareshwara.
Second Cave Temple: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu
As you climb up from the first temple, the next temple comes up after a flight of another 64 steps. Lord Vishnu is the main deity in this temple.
It was created in late 6th or early 7th century. It is smaller than Cave 1, somewhat similar otherwise. Inside the temple are friezes showing stories from Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana. These show the legend of cosmic ocean churning (Samudra Manthan) and Krishna’s birth and flute playing indicating the theological and cultural significance of these in 7th century India. The ceiling and door head carvings show Gajalakshmi, the swastika symbols, flying couples, Brahma, Vishnu asleep on Shesha and others.
Third Cave Temple: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu
Cave 3 is at 60 steps above the Cave 2 temple. It is earliest dated Hindu temple in the Deccan region. It is dedicated to Vishnu; it is the largest cave in the complex. It has intricately carved friezes and giant figures of Trivikrama, Anantasayana, Vasudeva, Varaha, Harihara and Narasimha.
Fourth Cave Temple: Dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras
The 4th temple is about 10 feet lower than the 3rd cave temple. This temple was probably created around the 7th or 8th century AD. Inside the cave are major carvings of Bahubali, Parshvanatha and Mahavira with symbolic display of other Tirthankaras.
Final stop: Your hotel!
Congrats if you have made through the plan! You should be through the complete trip by about early afternoon. The trip will be physically exerting and surely help you enjoy your lunch!
READ our review of Hotel Krishna Heritage, Badami
Have a good lunch, take a bit of rest and you could continue on your remaining plans!
Bonus Tip: If you book your hotel directly (not online) by reaching out to them, the checkin and checkout times are much more flexible. They allow you to checkout anytime before 24 hours since you checked in.
Other nearby places to visit
See if you can plan to visit Aihole and Pattadakal while you are in or on your way back from Badami. The three together will give you a fantastic glimpse into ancient Indian history.
Hampi is about 150 kms south east of badami. Consider visiting Hampi as well as it is one of the most important chapters in Indian history.
Web story: 6 places to visit in Hampi
This will help you check in / check out in the evenings comfortably!
Have a great trip!
