Pattadakal - A UNESCO World Heritage site with great architectures in the form of beautiful Temples around lush green gardens & mind-blowing heritage
Pattadakal is very special place in north Karnataka when we talk about Heritage and Chalukya monuments. This UNESCO world heritage site is in Bagalkote district of Karnataka state of India and is easily approachable from Badami & Aihole. This place has temples from 7th & 8th century and most of these are Hindu or jain temples on the bank of Malaprabha river. I visited Pattadakal temples while I was on Karanataka tour and it was certainly a very special experience. This blogpost shares more about Pattadakal Temples, some tips & other places to explore in this region of Karnataka state.
Let's quickly talk about how to reach Pattadakal in Karnataka state of India :
Pattadakal is accessible by road from Banglore, Belgaum and Badami. These cities in turn are well connected with the rest of India. Here is how to reach Pattadakal:
BY AIR
Nearest airport - Belgaum (180km from Pattadakal).
Flights from Indian cities like Mumbai and Chennai operate to Belgaum. The nearest international airport is at Bengaluru.
BY TRAIN
Nearest railway station - Badami (22 km from Pattadakal).
Trains from places like Solapur and Ahmedabad halt at the station. From the station you can hire a taxi or can board a bus to reach Pattadakal.
BY ROAD
Pattadakal is well connected by road. State-run buses ply regularly from Bengaluru, Bijapur, Hubli and Belgaum.
UNESCO defines Pattadakal as "harmonious blend of architectural forms from North & the South India". These hindu temples are usually dedicated to Shiva but some elements of Vaishnavism & Shaktism can also be found around Pattadakal. Many stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata & Bhagvada Geeta are depicted through intricate arts on the walls of these temples. Hence it makes lot of sense of have a knowledgeable guide with you who can share associated stories information when you move between the temples of Pattadakal.
Pattadakal Temples are in a huge compound and surrounded with sufficient green landscapes. I loved the part that Pattadakal temple complex is maintained pretty well.
There are 2 temples where worship happens in this complex. One is Shiva temple and there is another open temple with huge monolithic nandi. We visited both of these temples along with others to take blessings.
Pattadakal Temple complex is maintained by Archeological Survey of India. Such places make me feel proud to say that we have organisations like Archeological Survey of India which is keeping these places maintained.
Let's talk about some fundamental details around Pattadakal, which would help you plan your trip in a better way -
How to Reach : October to Feb (feb onwards it starts getting hot and unbearable in summers)
Best time to visit : 8am to 5:30pm
Entry Fees : 25 Rs
Parking charges : 20 Rs
Camera Charges : (don't remember clearly)
There are 9 hindu temples in Pattadakal complex in Karnataka. The oldest one is Sangameshwara temple which is dedicated to lord Shiva and a great example of Chalukyan architecture. Temples of Pattadakal include - Virupaksha temple, Mallikarujuna Temple, Papanatha Temple, Jambulinga temple, Samgameshwara & Jain temples.
While visiting Pattadakal, you can also plan places like Badami Cave Temples and Aihole.
It was summer when I was in Pattadakal, so we couldn't walk enough in the open due to scorching heat but this place can be brilliant in winters. One can spend great time in lush green lawns of Pattadakal temple in Karnataka.
One thing to notice here is that all these temples are in same complex so you don't need to drive around to visit these popular temples of Pattadakal. That's the same reason why I haven't highlighted each temple separately.
Above photograph shows one of the extremes of Pattadakal temple complex and this part is near to the river. Close to this tree, there is a temple with monolithic nandi, where surrounding people come for the worship. There is a village close to this complex.
The Malaprabha River is a tributary of the Krishna River and flows through the state of Karnataka in India. Malaprabha River joins Krishna River at Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district.
Malaprabha River originates in the Sahyadri mountains and at the origin of the Malaprabha is an ancient temple dedicated to Shree Mauli Devi. Malaprabha birthplace is a pilgrimage center with mythological origins. A symbol in rock carved by hand near the source of the river Malaprabha depicts the origin of the river for the purpose of safety showered for the well being of humankind. It is a source of highly stable mineral water.
Malaprabha flows a distance of 304 km from Kanakumbi, Khanapur, Soundatti (Malaprabha Dam), Nargund, Pattadkal, Kudalasangam before joining river Krishnaat Kudala Sangama in Bagalkot district.
I highly recommend to go inside each of the temple in this complex at Pattadakal. Without a guide, some things may look similar but a guide can bring lot of meaningful details to keep your interest alive. The work done on walls, pillars and ceilings of these temples at Pattadakal is beautiful.
Here is one place inside Pattadakal Temple complex where worship happens. One needs to take off the shoes to visit this Temple, otherwise one can visit other temples in the complex with shoes.
Pattadakal was considered a holy place as it's the place where the Malaprabha river turned northwards towards the Himalayas and the Kailasha mountain. During the Chalukya dynasty Pattadakal was used for coronation ceremonies, such as that of Vinayaditya in the 7th century.
Above photograph shows Shiva temple at Pattadakkal where worship happens. This temple has a shivalingam installed inside it, which you can see in above photograph.
I enjoyed my visit to Pattadakal and also celebrated the wonderful time around Badami & other popular destinations in Karnataka state of India.
Other places to explore around Badami town of Karnataka:
If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -
- Manage your waste well and don’t litter.
- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.
- Don't play loud blaring music in forests or jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite.
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