At 8AM we drive out of Hampi for 3 hours to the erstwhile capital of the Chalukya Kings, Badami. Located in a ravine at the foot of red sandstone hills Badami looks mesmerizing surrounded by the Agastya lake. The cave temples are made of made of red sandstone and feature a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum. Paintings cover the ceiling. A must look out is the pose of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvathi with a coiled serpent. An 18 armed lord Nataraja in 81 dancing poses is the other item of interest. Badami is also famous for its inscriptions. An important inscription to look out for would be the first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dating back to 543 CE.
A half hour drive brings us to Pattadakal. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an epitome of the Visara style of architecture. The grandest of all temples here is that of Virupaksha, built in 8th Century by Queen Lokamahadevi in 745 to commemorate victory over the Pallavas of Kanchi.
Our final destination for the day is Aihole. It is a half an hour drive from Pattadakal. There are more than a hundred stone temples from 5th century onwards to see. Legend says it is at Aihole that Lord Parashurama washed his axe after killing all the Kshatrayas.
