A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
Details of the shikhara, or tower, of a Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
One of the porches of the Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal, India, one of the main temple sites of the Chalukyan Dynasty.
The sacred lingam, or phallus, which represents the god Shiva, in the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal, India. The lingam has been adorned by worshipers with garlands, while gifts to the god have been left around it.
Hindu gods have 'vehicles' or beings/animals upon which they ride through the universe. The god Shiva rides the bull Nandi, who often is ensconced in a 'Nandi Shrine' in front of a Shiva temple. Here, the giant Nandi sculpture, sculpted in solid stone, is bedecked with garlands of marigolds. Worshipers leave votive gifts before entering the temple.
A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
At Pattadakal, India, there is a collection of Chalukyan Period Hindu temples from the 7th to 8th centuries CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here on the right you see a southern style temple and on the left a northern style temple, each discernible by the different styles of shikharas or towers.
An Indian family on an outing to explore the ancient temples at Pattadakal.
The god Shiva rides Nandi the bull, from the ceiling of a temple in Aihole.
Near the ceremonial early temple site of Aihole, where some very early Chalukyan period temples can be found (many of the 7th century CE) is a poor village where the people have built their homes among the medieval temples.
The people of the village of Aihole live among the 1300-year-old Chalukyan-era temples.
A couple of gentlemen of the village of Aihole take refuge from the heat in an ancient medieval temple. Note the Nandi bull sculpture gazing into the inner sanctum of the temple where the lingam is kept.
At Aihole a 'tank' or artificial reservoir collects water during the monsoon season for use through the dry months.
The sturdy pillars of a Chalukyan temple at Pattadakal.
A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
A Chalukyan period Hindu temple, 7th to 8th century CE, in Pattadakal, India.
A group of Indian schoolgirls visit the temple caves at Badami. In fact, the dynasty that carved them are called the 'Badami Chalukyans'.
An ancient inscription around 1300 years old, at the caves at Badami, India.
The great 'tank' or man-made reservoir at Badami, India.
The piers of a temple at Pattadakal.
The lingam of the Malikarjuna temple at Pattadakal.
The lingam of the Malikarjuna temple at Pattadakal. The shrine chamber which holds the lingam is called the Gharba Griha or 'Womb Chamber' or 'Seed Chamber'.
The Nandi shrine of the Malikarjuna temple at Pattadakal.
Entrance to the Malikarjuna temple at Pattadakal
Looking through the Nandi shrine to the entrance of the Malikarjuna Temple at Pattadakal.
View of temples at Pattadakal
The 'Lahd Khan' Temple at Aihole, an early Chalukyan-era temple. The name of the temple is derived simply from the name of the owner of the building in later centuries. It is not known to what Hindu god the temple was origianlly dedicated to, but at some point, probably in very recent centuries, it was dedicated to Shiva.
A small temple at Pattadakal.
Detail from the shikhara or tower of the Galganatha Temple at Pattadakal.
The Galganatha Temple at Pattatakal.
The 'Durga' Temple at Aihole, a very unique design with a semi-circular 'apse' with an ambulatory around the central shrine.
The 'Durga' Temple, Aihole. The temple was actually not dedicated to the goddess Durga, but to Vishnu.
The 'Durga' Temple, Aihole.
Designs of a temple screen at Aihole showing the swastika motif, in Hinduism a lucky and auspicious symbol.
Sculpted figures on the interior of the porch of the Durga Temple, Aihole.
The magnificent ceiling of the porch of the Durga Temple at Aihole.
Detail of one of the reliefs in the ceiling of the porch of the Durga Temple at Aihole.
Ceiling of the porch of the Durga Temple at Aihole.
Facade of the Durga Temple, Aihole.
South side of the Durga Temple, Aihole.
The interior of the Jain cave at Badami (Cave 5), with Jain saints carved on the walls and on the pillars. These 'temples' are carved from the living rock of a cliff-side.
View of the interior of Cave 5 at Badami.
The pillars of Cave 3 at Badami with their elaborately sculpted bracket figures.
Cave 3 at Badami is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Here, he is in his avatar of Varaha or the Cosmic Boar, who saves Prithi (Bhu Devi; that is, the Earth) from her prison in the Ocean where a demon had taken her. Prithi is personified as a woman, who can be seen to the right of Vishnu's boar head.
Cave 3 at Badami; a relief showing Vishnu enthroned on the serpent Sesha.
Cave 3 at Badami.
The pillars of Cave 2 at Badami.
Detail of figure of Vishnu as Trivikrama at Cave 2 at Badami, 6th century.
Cave 2 at Badami. Vishnu as the Cosmic Boar saving the Earth.
Women dry their saris on the ghats of the great reservoir at Badami.
