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Set
in beautiful countryside at the foot of a red sandstone ridge, the small
rural town of Badami was once the capital of the Chalukyan. Empire
covered much of the central Deccan between the 4th centuries AD. Here
and at nearby Aihole and Pattadakal, you can see some of the earliest
and rock- cut caves. The forms and sculptural work at there sites
provided inspiration for the later Hindu empires which rose and fell in
the arrival of the Muslims. Though principally promoters of the vedic
culture, the Chalukyans were tolerant of all sects, and elements of
Shaivism, Vaishnaivism, Jainism and even Buddhism can be found in many
of their temples. Badami
was the Chalukyan capital from about 540 AD until 757 AD when the
Chalukyans were overthrown by the Rashtrakutas. The surrounding hills
are dotted with temples, fortifications, carvings and inscriptions
dating not just from the Chalukyan period, but from other times when the
site was occupied as a fortress. After it fell to the Rashtrakutsa,
Badami was occupied successively by the Chalukyans of Kalyan (a separate
branch of the western Chalukyan), the Kaachuryas, the Yadavas of
Devagiri, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Adil Shahi kings of Bajipur and
the Marathas. All these various
rulers have left their mark at Badami, and there's even a Pallava
inscription dating back to 642 AD when their king, Narasimha Varman I,
Briefly overwhelmed the Chalukyans and occupied Badami for 13 years
before being driven out.
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