Karnataka History
Known as Karunadu (elevated land) in ancient times, the history of Karnataka can be traced to the pre-historic ages. The Maurya dynasty of North India was the first kingdom to hold sway over vast swathes of the state. Chandragupta Maurya, the greatest of the Maurya rulers, relinquished his throne and converted to Jainism in Shravanabelagola. Since then, a great many dynasties have ruled Karnataka enriching the land's heritage with their distinctive culture and values.

The Sathavahanas, the Kadambas and the Gangas were the first indigenous dynasties to rule Karnataka. The Kadambas usurped the throne of the Pallavas of Kanchi and built their capital in Banavasi. The Gangas of Kolar held their reign till 999 AD when they fell to the Badami Chalukyas. The Chalukyas emerged as a great power of that time and brought the whole of Karnataka under their rule. They were prolific temple builders and built some majestic temples in Aihole and Pattadakal.

The baton then passed to the Rastrakutas and the Kalyana Chalukyas. The Hoysalas, who succeeded the Chalukyas, were also great patrons of art and they built some exquisite temples in Belur and Halebid. The successive invasions by the Delhi Sultanate at that time led to the formation of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Vijayanagara rulers ushered in an epoch of glory in the history of Karnataka. The might of the empire spread to distant shores and indigenous art and culture flourished to a great extent.

After the collapse of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Adil Shahi and Bahmani dynasties emerged stronger and they created in Bijapur some of the earliest Islamic architecture of Karnataka. Karnataka became a part of the British rule when Tipu Sultan was defeated after a brief period of valiant resistance. The British constituted the state of Mysore with the Wodeyar kings as their governors. The state was renamed as Karnataka on November 1, 1973.

Badami

Badami Tour

Badami is the epitome of Karnataka's love towards art and architecture. This north Karnataka site is known for its beautifully carved cave temples, artificial lake, museums and rock-cut into the cliff face of a red sandstone hill of 6th & 7th Century. This village is located at the beginning of a ravine in the midst of red sandstone hills in northern Karnataka. Badami is an excellent tour option in case you like to explore the remains of the distant past in the form of caves, temples and forts, other monuments and ruins that remind you of the grandeur, lifestyle and ways of the past. Travel to Badami can be the ideal holiday choice.

Badami was at one time the capital of the Chalukyas. The Pallavas, who had been defeated by Pulakesi II, later captured and destroyed Badami to avenge their defeat. Badami was also in the possession of the Vijayanagar Kings, the Adil Shahis, the Savanur Nawabs, the Marathas, Hyder Ali and finally the British who made it part of the Bombay Presidency. A number of annual temple festivals are held in towns near Badami. The annual temple festival, held at Banashankari, in the month of January-February is worth visiting; so are the Virupaksha Temple Car Festival and Mallikarjuna Temple Festival held in Pattadakal during March-April.

How to Reach Badami

Air: The nearest airport is Belgaum (150 kms)

Rail: Badami is on the Hubli-Sholapur rail route. There are six daily trains from Badami to Bijapur. The railway station is 5 km from the town.

Road: There are buses to and from Bijapur, Bagalkot, Hospet, Hubli, Bangalore and Kolhapur. The distance of Badami from Hubli is128 km and from Bijapur 132 kms

Local Transport: Cycle Rickshaws, Tongas, City Bus Service

Prime Attractions in and Around Badami
There are several places of tourist interest in Badami that you may tour during your stay in Karnataka. Rock–cut cave Temples, Gateways, Forts, Inscriptions, Sculptures that seem to come alive before your eyes. There are several monuments in Badami that were constructed during the 6th and 7th centuries. However, the town is best known for its cave temples, cut into the cliff face of the red sandstone hill and connected by flights of steps. They display the full range of religious sects, which have grown up on Indian soil. Two of them are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple.

There's also one natural cave, which is a Buddhist One of the many masterpieces to be found in these caves is the famous, 18-armed Nataraja (Shiva) who if observed closely, strikes 81 poses. Cave 4, the last cave, is the only Jain Temple in Badami. The 24th Tirthankara-Mahavira, is seated in a uniquely comfortable pose here, against a cushion in the inner sanctum. Also a must see are Bhutanatha temples that lend their names to the lake just beneath the cave temples. Take a dip in this green tranquil waters as it is said to have the healing properties. On the other bank of the ancient Bhutnatha lake, astride whose shores the caves stand, is the shrine of Nagamma, the local serpent goddess, within a massive tamarind tree. Nearby, are two Shiva temples. Within the inner sanctum, on the edge of the water, He sits in a rare pose, leaning back, in all his awesome majesty.

The archaeological museum of Badami has Nandi, Lord Shiva's bull, at its entrance. This museum is closed on Fridays. It houses superb examples of local sculptures, including the remarkable Lajja-Gauri images of fertility cult, which flourished in the era. Badami Fort is strategically situated on top of the hill, enclosing large granaries, impressive temples on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya, perhaps the oldest temple of the lot, is dedicated to the benign aspect of Shiva as the garland maker. Placed on the summit of a rocky hill, the temple is built of stone, finely joined without mortar and with Dravidian tower. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower of which only the sanctum remains now. Around Badami there is the Naganath Temple, which is 10 Kms away and located in a forest on the way to Mahakuta. It is one of the early Chalukyan temples dedicated to Shiva.