Badami Chalukya architecture
Badami Chalukya architecture is a style in
The earliest Badami Chalukya temples date back to around 450 in Aihole when the Badami Chalukyas were vassals of the Kadambas of Banavasi. The Early Chalukya style was perfected in Badami and Pattadakal, both in Karnataka.
The unknown architects and artists experimented with different styles, blended the Nagara and Dravidian styles. The style includes two types of monuments: rock cut halls or "cave temples", and "structural" temples, built above ground.
Badami cave temples
Badami cave temples have rock-cut halls with three basic features: pillared veranda, columned hall and a sanctum cut out deep into rock.
Early experiments in rock-cut halls were attempted in Aihole where they built three cave temples, one each in Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina styles. Later they refined their style and cut out four marvellous cave temples at Badami. One noteworthy feature of these cave temples is the running frieze of Ganas in various amusing postures caved in relief on each plinth.
The outside verandas of the cave temples are rather plain, but the inner hall contains rich and prolific sculptural symbolism. Art critic Dr. M. Sheshadri wrote of the Chalukya art that they cut rock like
The finest structural temples are located in Pattadakal. Of the ten temples in Pattadakal, six are in Dravidian style and four in Rekhanagara style. The Virupaksha temple in many ways holds resemblance to the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram which came into existence a few years earlier.
This is a fully inclusive temple, it has a central structure, nandi pavilion in front and has a walled enclosure that is entered by a gateway. The main sanctum has a
Many centuries later, the serene art of the Badami Chalukya reappeared in the pillared architecture of the
Some important sculptors of their time were Gundan Anivaritachari, Revadi Ovajja and Narasobba.
Important Badami Chalukya temples
Pattadakal
- Virupaksha Temple
- Sangameswarar Temple
- Kashivisvanatha Temple (Rashtrakuta)
- Mallikarjuna Temple
- Galganatha Temple
- Kadasiddeshvara Temple
- Jambulinga Temple
- Jain Narayana Temple (Rashtrakuta)
- Papanatha Temple
- Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery
- Naganatha Temple
- Chandrashekara
- Mahakuteshwara Temple
- Sun Temple
Aihole
- Lad Khan Temple
- Huchiappayyagudi Temple
- Huchiappayya math
- Durga Temple
- Meguti Jain Temple
- Ravanaphadi Temple
- Gowda Temple
- Museum & Art Gallery
- Suryanarayana Temple
Badami
- Cave 1 (Shiva)
- Cave 2 (Vishnu as )
- Cave 3 (Vishnu as Trivikrama.)
- Cave 4 (Parsvanatha)
- Bhutanatha group of temples (Badami and Kalyani Chalukya)
Gerusoppa
- Vardhamanaswamy Temple
Sanduru
- Parvati temple
Alampur, Andhra Pradesh
- Navabrahma temples
- Kudavelly Sangameshwara Temple
References
Notes
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
- Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).
- History Of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje © 1998-00 OurKarnataka.com