Chalukyan Architecture-1

TEMPLES OF AIHOLE , BADAMI & PATTAKADAL
HISTORY OF CHALUKYAN ARCHITECTURE

• The Chalukya era was an important
period in the development of South
Indian architecture.
• Their style of architecture is called
"Chalukyan architecture" or
"Karnata Dravida architecture".
•The building material they used was
a reddish-golden Sandstone found
locally.
•Though they ruled a vast empire,
the Chalukyan workshops
concentrated most of their temple
building activity in a relatively small
area within the Chalukyan
heartland –
Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal
HISTORY OF CHALUKYAN ARCHITECTURE
•Chalukyan architecture has a profound
fusion of southern and northern Indian
styles.
•Chalukyan temple structures also
experimented with the
Buddhist ’Chaitya’ design along side the
brahminical one, i.e. a vestibule,
connecting the sanctum to the hall.
•These cave temples are similar, in some
ways, each has a plain exterior but an
exceptionally well finished interior
consisting of a pillared verandah, a
columned hall (mantapa) and a cella
(shrine, cut deep into rock) which contains
the deity of worship.
• At Badami, some cave temples are Vedic
and one is in the Jain style.
AIHOLE DURGA TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Aihole, late 7th century

•The name "Durga" refers to a fort, not
to the goddess; apparently at one time
the building was used as a military
outpost (durg).
•It is not known to which deity the
temple was originally dedicated.
•The and curved west end is the rear
rear of the temple. The entrance
being on the east .
•The temple's unusual apsidal form is
thought to imitate the earlier
Buddhist chaitya halls.
•An inner wall of similar shape
encloses the sanctuary (plan). An
incomplete tower perches on the roof
above the sanctuary.
•The porch faces east.

Entrance stairs run up
sideways, behind the frontal
barrier wall in the foreground.
•The columns of the entrance
porch are decorated with
sculptures of mithunas (loving
couples, an auspicious motif).
•The ceiling medallion depicts a

stylized lotus pond. A school of fish,
encircled by a band of lotus plants,
converges radially to a central nub.
The design is symmetric, with plants
arranged in alternating closed and
open views. The formal pattern is
much enlivened by the naturalistic
rendering of its fish and plant motifs.
•A naga king, his body coiled into a
circle, is accompanied by female
attendants. In his right hand, the
naga carries a garland (not his tail, as
it may seem at first). In his left hand,
he bears an offering platter, which,
like those of the attendants, is filled
with fruits of the earth.
•These exquisite flying

divinities, a mithuna couple,
emerge like a dream from the
much-damaged ceiling.
•This paradise scene is from
the lintel above the sanctuary
entrance. It consists of an
elaborate temple that is
supported by Garuda grasping
nagas.
•Eight-armed Shiva poses

with Nandi in a sculpture from
one of the niches in the
colonnade. The location of this
and the following sculptures,
which are seen by proceeding
through the colonnade in the
usual counterclockwise direction,
is indicated in the plan of the
temple.
•The man-lion form of Vishnu
lounges , his front right forearm
casually supporting a club
(missing).
•The mount of Vishnu appears

here in an odd-looking, dwarf-
like form. Some wing feathers
are visible to the right of the
figure.
•Vishnu's Boar avatar lifts Bhu
Devi (planet earth) on the
crook of his arm, while
suppressing the nagas
(snakes) with his foot.
• GoddessDurga attacks Mahishasur

the buffalo demon, as her lion
grimaces fiercely from the side. The
goddess's left leg and several arms are
missing.
As mentioned earlier, the temple itself
is not named after this goddess.
•Although many attributes are
missing, this figure's proper right side
(photo left) can be identified as Shiva
by the dwarf gana, an attendant. But
his proper left side (photo right) is
Vishnu, holding worn but recognizable
attributes of conch and discus. So
taken together, this figure must
be Harihara, the combined form of the
two Great Gods.
BADAMI CAVE TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
• Buiit in the 6th Century AD.

•Great kingdom needed outstanding
sanctuaries. Badami Chalukyas
built Badami Cave Temples – some
of the most exquisite Indian rock-cut
temples.
•The water flowing from the ravine
in Badami is gathered in an ancient
artificial lake – Agastya tirtha
reservoir. High above the water
there are towering cliffs of
comparatively soft sandstone. Royal
shrines were made in these cliffs
with grand view opening over the
former capital city.
• The four cave temples of Badami

were built by the Chalukyan Empire.
• One cave is devoted to Shiva, two –
to Vishnu. Fourth cave is Jain
temple. Thus Chalukyas, just like
several other successful dynasties of
Ancient India, demonstrated
religious tolerance.
•Badami Cave Temples have simple
exterior but their interiors have very
ornate finishing.
•Entrance leads through a pillared
verandah – mukha mandapa, pillars
have square form in section.
• Three caves are adorned with a

lavish frieze below the columns.
•The main hall of each temple –
maha mandapa – is standing on
massive columns. Furthest part of
the temple behind the main hall is
the shrine – cella or garbhagrhia.
Most likely caves were covered with
exciting murals – only traces of this
former beauty remain.
•Important feature of Badami Caves
and their surroundings is ancient
inscriptions in Kannada writing and
in Kannada and Sanskrit languages.
CAVE 1
•This cave most likely is the oldest.
•Entrance portal can be reached by 40
steps and contains four freestanding
square columns and two semi-columns.
Below the columns there is a frieze
with ganas – attendants of Shiva.
•Main hall contains pillars and a square
shaped shrine at the back wall. Ceiling is
adorned with murals of amorous couples
miraculously preserved for more than
1,400 years.
•Cave is adorned with exquisite reliefs,
the most impressive ones include a
group with Shiva and Parvati with a
coiled serpent as well as unique
monument of art – 18 armed Nataraja,
which, when closely observed, strikes 81
dancing poses.
CAVE 2
•Created in the late 6th century
AD and dedicated to Vishnu who
is shown here as Trivikrama –
with one foot on Earth and
another – directed to the north.
Vishnu in this temple is
represented also as Varaha (boar)
and Krishna avatars.
•Cave is reached by climbing 64
steps from the first cave.
Entrance is adorned with reliefs
of guardians (dvarapalas) with
smaller female attendants
shown.
CAVE 3
•The largest and most renowned
cave temple in Badami C
•Rock-cut temple has north – south
orientation. Main hall together with
verandah goes up to 14.5 m deep
into the mountain, shrine makes the
cave for some 4 m deeper. Height of
the main hall is approximately 4.5 m.
•Cave is reached by climbing 60
steps from the Cave 2.
•Facade of the temple is
approximately 21 m wide and is
adorned with a row of six massive
columns. Below the columns there is
a friese consisting of 30 smaller
reliefs of ganas.
CAVE 3
•Whole cave is covered with
magnificent adornments,
including paintings on ceiling.
Centrepiece of these murals is
four-armed Brahma on his swan.
On the floor below the mural of
Brahma there is a lotus medallion
– place where offerings were laid.
•Significant monuments of Indian
art are the numerous reliefs of
Vishnu including standing
Vishnu, Vishnu with a serpent,
Vishnu as Narasimha (half human
– half lion), Varaha, Harihara and
Trivikrama avatars. Reliefs are 4
m high.
CAVE 4
• This is the only Jain temple in
complex and the newest cave in
complex.
•It is located higher than other
caves. If compared to the three
previous caves, this cave is less
elaborate and smaller – but still
beautiful and rich with adornment.
•It contains carving of the
Tirthankara Parshavnatha with a
serpent at his feet.
•Here is located also sculpture of
Jain saint Mahavira in seated pose
(often mistaken for Buddha) and
standing Gomatesvara with creepers
twisted around his legs.
•Pattadakal had once been the rich capital of the Chalukyas.
•During 7th - 8th century, Pattadakal Temples were got constructed by the Chalukya
rulers.
• Portraying the rare specimen, the temples depict a wonderful blend of Dravidian
(South-Indian) and Nagara (North-Indian) architectural styles. The phrase 'beauty in
ruins' goes exactly with the town of Pattadakal. The beautiful settlement appears
majestic with its series of ten temples.
• The Temple capital of the Chalukyan Kingdom, All kings of this dynasty were
coronated in this town.
i. Virupaksha Temple
ii. Sangameshvara Temple
iii. Chandrashekhara temple
iv. MallikarjunaTemple
v. Kashivisvanatha Temple
vi. Galganatha temple
vii. Kadasiddhesvara and Jambulingeswara temples
viii. Jambulinga temple
ix. Kadasiddheshvara temple
x. Jain Narayana Temple

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TEMPLES OF AIHOLE , BADAMI & PATTAKADAL

HISTORY OF CHALUKYAN ARCHITECTURE

Aihole, late 7th century

•The porch faces east.

•The ceiling medallion depicts a

•These exquisite flying

•Eight-armed Shiva poses

•The mount of Vishnu appears

• GoddessDurga attacks Mahishasur

• Buiit in the 6th Century AD.

• The four cave temples of Badami

• Three caves are adorned with a

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