Badami Chalukya architecture
Badami Chalukya architecture is a style in Hindu temple architecture that evolved in the 5th – 8th centuries CE in the Malaprabha river basin, in the present-day Bagalkot district of Karnataka state of India, under the Chalukya dynasty; later it spread more widely. This style is sometimes called the Vesara style and Chalukya style, a term that also includes the much later Western Chalukya architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries. Early Chalukya architecture, used by George Michell and others, equates to Badami Chalukya.
The earliest Badami Chalukya temples date back to around 450 in Aihole when the Badami Chalukyas were vassals of the Kadambas of Banavasi. The Early Chalukya style was perfected in Badami and Pattadakal, both in Karnataka.
The unknown architects and artists experimented with different styles, blended the Nagara and Dravidian styles. The style includes two types of monuments: rock cut halls or "cave temples", and "structural" temples, built above ground.
Badami cave temples
Badami cave temples have rock-cut halls with three basic features: pillared veranda, columned hall and a sanctum cut out deep into rock.
Early experiments in rock-cut halls were attempted in Aihole where they built three cave temples, one each in Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina styles. Later they refined their style and cut out four marvellous cave temples at Badami. One noteworthy feature of these cave temples is the running frieze of Ganas in various amusing postures caved in relief on each plinth.
The outside verandas of the cave temples are rather plain, but the inner hall contains rich and prolific sculptural symbolism. Art critic Dr. M. Sheshadri wrote of the Chalukya art that they cut rock like Titans but finished like jewellers. Critic Zimmer wrote that the Chalukya cave temples are a fine balance of versatility and restrain.
The finest structural temples are located in Pattadakal. Of the ten temples in Pattadakal, six are in Dravidian style and four in Rekhanagara style. The Virupaksha temple in many ways holds resemblance to the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram which came into existence a few years earlier.
This is a fully inclusive temple, it has a central structure, nandi pavilion in front and has a walled enclosure that is entered by a gateway. The main sanctum has a Pradakshinapatha and mantapa. The mantapa is pillared and has perforated windows (pierced window screens). The external wall surface is divided by pilasters into well-spaced ornamental niches filled with either sculptures or perforated windows. Art critic Percy Brown says about the sculptures that they flow into the architecture in a continuous stream. It is said that the Virupaskha temple is one of those monuments where the spirit of the men who built it, still lives.
Many centuries later, the serene art of the Badami Chalukya reappeared in the pillared architecture of the Vijayanagar Empire. Their caves include finely engraved sculptures of Harihara, Trivikrama, Mahisa Mardhini, Tandavamurthi, Paravasudeva, Nataraja, Varaha, Gomateshvara and others. Plenty of animal and foliage motifs are also included.
Some important sculptors of their time were Gundan Anivaritachari, Revadi Ovajja and Narasobba.
Important Badami Chalukya temples
Pattadakal
- Virupaksha Temple
- Sangameswarar Temple
- Kashivisvanatha Temple (Rashtrakuta)
- Mallikarjuna Temple
- Galganatha Temple
- Kadasiddeshvara Temple
- Jambulinga Temple
- Jain Narayana Temple (Rashtrakuta)
- Papanatha Temple
- Museum of the Plains and Sculpture gallery
- Naganatha Temple
- Chandrashekara
- Mahakuteshwara Temple
- Sun Temple
Aihole
- Lad Khan Temple
- Huchiappayyagudi Temple
- Huchiappayya math
- Durga Temple
- Meguti Jain Temple
- Ravanaphadi Temple
- Gowda Temple
- Museum & Art Gallery
- Suryanarayana Temple
Badami
- Cave 1 (Shiva)
- Cave 2 (Vishnu as Trivikrama or Vamana, Varaha and Krishna)
- Cave 3 (Vishnu as Narasimha, Varaha, Harihara and Trivikrama.)
- Cave 4 (Jain Tirthankara Parsvanatha)
- Bhutanatha group of temples (Badami and Kalyani Chalukya)
Gerusoppa
- Vardhamanaswamy Temple
Sanduru
- Parvati temple
Alampur, Andhra Pradesh
References
Notes
- Nilakanta Sastri, K.A. (1955). A History of South India, From Prehistoric times to fall of Vijayanagar, OUP, New Delhi (Reprinted 2002).
- Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002).
- History Of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje © 1998-00 OurKarnataka.com
External links
- Official site of Bagalkot District
- Karnataka Tourism Guide
- Karnataka Hotels
- Tourism of India
- Temples of Karnataka, Dr. Jyotsna Kamat
- v
- t
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- 0345 to 0525: Kadamba architecture – synthesis of several schools
- 0350 to 0550: Dravidian architecture (Western Ganga Dynasty)
- 0543 to 0753: Badami Chalukya architecture or the Vesara style
- 0753 to 0973: Dravidian & Rekhanagara architecture of Rashtrakutas
- 1000 to 1200: Western Chalukya architecture (Gadag style of architecture)
- 1100 to 1400: Hoysala architecture of the Hoysala Empire
- 1336 to 1648: Vijayanagara architecture of the Vijayanagar Empire
- 1490 to 1686: Indo-Islamic architecture of Bahmani, Bidar and Bijapur Sultanates
- 1499 to 1763: Keladi Nayaka architecture of the Nayaka kingdoms
- 1399 to 1947: Architecture of Kingdom of Mysore (Blends of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture)
- 1780: Indo-Sarcenic and Muslim architecture of Tippu Sultan
- 1512 to present: Sikh architecture of Bidar & Bangalore
- 1933 to 1956: Neo-Gothic church architecture
- 1947 to present: Neo-Dravidian architecture
- 1953 to present: Buddhist Viharas, Tibetan Culture & Tibetan architecture at Bylakuppe