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Pattadakal: Twenty-two km
from Aihole, on the left bank of the Malaprabha river,
is Pattadakal, second capital of the Chalukyas, used
mainly for coronations of kings. Pattadakal, declared by UNESCO,
as a World Heritage Site, was an experimentation ground for
temple architecture. Therefore one can see two main types of temple
architecture side by side. On one hand you see the curvilinear
Shiakaras (spires) of the Kashivishweshwara, Jambvilinga and Galaganatha
temples. On the other hand you see the Temples of Mallikarjuna, Sangameshwara
and Virupaksha with their square roofs and receding tiers. The most
important monuments here, are the Virupaksha and the Mallikarjuna
temples built between 740-745 A.D., to commemorate
the victory of Vikramaditya the 2nd, over
the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.
 Aihole:
Aihole was the capital of the Chalukyan Kings, between
the 4th and 6th century A.D., when they began experimenting with the
idea of constructing temples with stone blocks. One therefore see
Hindu temple architecture in its embryonic stage,
from simple shrines, like those in Konthigudi group and the
Lad Khan Temple to the more complex edifices, such as Meguthi
temple. Aihole has over 125 Temples, all intricately carved and rich
in detail. The oldest temple here, is perhaps the Lad Khan Temple
dating back to the 5th Century A.D. The Durga Temple has a semicircular
apse and a sanctum, circles by a richly carved colonnade passageway.
The Hutchamalli Temple, the Ravalphadi Cave Temple, the Konthi Temple
Complex, the Jain Meghuthi Temple and the Two storied Buddhist Temple
are worth visiting.
 Badami:
Badami, the taluk headquarters, is in a picturesque
country side, at the mount of a sandstone ravine.It is 22
km, from Pattadakal. It was once the capital of the Chalukyas.
The site is a treasure house of architecture, sculpture and marks
some of the earliest and finest examples of rock cut caves and free
standing temple. They provided the blueprints for the later built
South Indian temples.The 4 caves, can be reached by climbing the stone
steps that are cut on the face of the sandstone cliffs. Whilst the
first 3 caves are dedicated to the Gods of the Hindu Pantheon,
the last cave is a Jain Temple, which has several
Jain deities including a huge idol of Parshwanatha.
The 1st cave is dedicated to Shiva and contains the beautiful
image of Nataraja (Dancing Shiva) with 18 arms. The other
sculptures are those of Ardhanareeshwara (half man and half
woman). The 3rd cave, dedicated to Vishnu, has a
large image of Trivikrama and Vishnu sitting on the coiled serpent,
Adisesha. The caves overlook a large lake, at the eastern
edge of which, are the waterside Bhuthanatha Temples. At the north
west of the lake is the Archaeological Museum.
 Bijapur:
Bijapur is a treasure house of Islamic Architecture,
situated in the Northern part of Karnataka. It is very famous for
its Gol Gumbuz, which dominates the skyline
of Bijapur. It is the World's Second Largest Dome, after
St.Peter's at Rome. This enormous dome has an Internal diameter of
38 meters, and has a gallery around its base.The remarkable feature
of this gallery is the Acoustics, where the slightest whisper is magnified
ten times, earning it a name of "Whispering Gallery".
It is considered to be a daring feat of Engineering in the country.
Other important monuments in Bijapur are Taj Bavadi, Ibrahim
Roza, Juma Masjid, Gagan Mahal,Bara Kaman and Malik-E-Maidan
which has a raised circular platfrom on which lies the 55
ton cannon, one of the largest mediaeval cannons in India,
which had the capacity to fire upto adistance of 40 kms.
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