Yatri Yadien: Badami

Showing posts with label Badami. Show all posts

March 23, 2018

My TripAdvisor Review No.290: Agastya Lake, Badami.

Beautiful Lake between the Caves and the Bhutnatha Temple

We got a bird’s eye view of the Agastya Lake when we climbed the hill where the cave temples are located. The waters looked very calm and serene in the early morning light when we visited the caves.

We also decided to visit the Bhutnatha Temple in the evening, and got another mesmerising view of the lake from the banks. There were steps leading down to the lake, like a bathing ghat. We sat on the steps for a while as the sun was setting, and enjoyed another aspect of its beauty.

The lake water is considered to be holy and have some healing powers. But we found the water to be murky and greenish in colour, so we did not risk taking a dip in it.

The approach to the lake is through some narrow roads of Badami town. We parked our car near the main road and found our way to the Badami Museum. The lake is about a 150 metres walk from the museum.

The views of the surrounding hills and the Bhutnatha temples and the caves on the opposite cliff against the setting sun make for a magical experience. Not many people visit this place, so it is very calm and quiet. It is very soothing to sit by the lake and meditate for a while.

Ask EkMusafir about Agastya Lake

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1143919-d4138614-r568080511-Agastya_Lake-Badami_Bagalkot_District_Karnataka.html#

March 13, 2018

My TripAdvisor Review No.289: Bhuthanatha Temple, Badami.

Beautiful Lakeside Temples.

The Bhuthanatha Temple is another major attraction of Badami, situated on the eastern shore of the Agastya Lake, across from the Cave Temples. One can get a bird’s eye view of the cluster of these temples from the hill where the caves are located, and the view is indeed beautiful.

To get closer to the temples, however, we had to walk through a maze of narrow lanes of Badami town, after parking our car somewhere near the main road. One can also take a rickshaw to the temples, but it would be almost impossible to take your car up close, unless it is a Mini or a Nano.

We first reached the Badami Museum but it had already closed at 5.30 pm. The temples were another 10 minute walk from the museum. The view of the temples and the lake looked mesmerising in the light of the setting sun.

We first saw the Mallikarjuna temple, which lies northeast of the lake. A gardener caretaker showed us around. We were not required to take off our shoes. The bigger cluster of temples on the east side of the lake is the Bhuthanatha temple. There is a Shiva linga inside and a Nandi bull in front. On one side of the doorway is stands Goddess Ganga and on the other side is Yamuna.

Both the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and built in sandstone by the Chalukya rulers of Badami, the Bhuthanata temple around the 7th century and the Mallikarjuna around the 11th century so they are at least a thousand years old.

After paying our respects to Lord Shiva and the master craftsmen of the temples we sat for a while on the stone banks of the serene Agastya Tirtha Lake and enjoyed watching the serene sunset.

Ask EkMusafir about Bhuthanatha Temple

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1143919-d2697302-r565974548-Bhuthanatha_Temple-Badami_Bagalkot_District_Karnataka.html#

March 11, 2018

My TripAdvisor Review No.288: Badami Cave Temples, Karnataka.

Exquisite Sandstone Carvings.

The Badami cave temples are definitely worth a visit. They form part of the Hampi – Badami – Pattadakkal – Aihole old temple and monument circuit in North Karnataka, between Bagalkot and Hospet. They may be in an old and ruined condition, but simply cannot be ignored because of the beauty and mastery of architects and sculptors who built them in a bygone era.

The approach road to the caves is through a very narrow uphill road passing through some slums of Badami town, but there is a good pay-and-park adjacent to the caves. The caves are open from 6 am to 6 pm. We went early at 7 am and avoided the crowds and the mid-day heat. Indians have to pay an entry fee of Rs.15 per head. We had to climb some steps to reach the caves. People with knee or leg problems may find it difficult as the steps are steep, but not too many, and one can do it slowly. Beware of the monkeys around.

The Badami caves date back to between the 6th to 8th centuries when they were carved out of the almond (badami) coloured sandstone cliffs. They are among the oldest Hindu cave temples in India.

There are four main caves close to each other. Cave 1 is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The carvings on the walls and ceilings are still in very good condition. There are relief sculptures of Vamana and Ardhanari–Shiva on the side walls and a ceiling sculpture of coiled Snake-King Nagaraja.

Cave 2 is similar in structure to Cave 1, but dedicated to Lord Vishnu, with a lot of carvings and reliefs of Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Vamana, Varaha, Durga and Kartikeya.

Cave 3 is dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu and has giant carvings of Trivikarma, Anantasayana, Vasudeva, Varaha, Narasimha and Harihara. The Harihara carving shows half Shiva and half Vishnu fused into one.

Cave 4 is dedicated to the Jain Tirthanakaras and has carvings of Lord Mahavira, Bahubali and Parshvanathas and some other Tirthankaras.

A detailed description of each cave is displayed outside the individual cave at the site. Guides can also be hired at the site and their charges range from Rs.400 to 600, but may not be necessary if you read up before you visit.

After visiting the caves we admired the beauty of the surrounding scenery of the Agastya Lake and the Bhoothnatha temple below, which looked very striking from the height.

Ask EkMusafir about Badami Cave Temples

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1143919-d1022211-r565558006-Badami_Cave_Temples-Badami_Bagalkot_District_Karnataka.html#

March 10, 2018

My TripAdvisor Review No.287: Hotel Mayura Chalukya Badami, Karnataka.

Decent Hotel With Some Old World Charm.

This Government run KSTDC hotel is located just before entering the main town of Badami, and hence it is a bit detached from the hustle, bustle, dust and grime of the town. The grounds are surrounded by old trees and beautifully manicured lawns. Monkeys and squirrels can be seen scampering around, and add to the rustic charm of the place. Parking is available outside the gates in an open plot under some large shady trees.

We had booked a semi-deluxe ac room online. It was a cosy room with a king size bed, side table, a comfy armchair, a luggage rack, a half cupboard with some hangers, a big CRT TV and an LG split ac. The bathroom was as big as our room, with a large boiler, wash basin with mirror, and a commode with a heath faucet. Service was good and the room was cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff. There were some nice paintings on the walls of each room and in the corridors.

The restaurant was good, though it was open to the general public as well, many of whom come to enjoy a beer in the afternoon. The food taste was average. Breakfast was limited to idlis, poha and upma. Restaurant service was not that great.

The hotel is located about 1.5 km from the Badami cave temples. After the temple visits it was nice to come back and relax in the ac room as it would become hot as the day wore on, even in February. Free wi-fi was available at the reception and restaurant. The hotel garden was a pleasant place for an evening stroll and watching the monkeys gamboling around. A huge colony of bats, from a big tree nearby, would start swirling around at dusk. All this added to the charm of this hotel in Badami, which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in India.