Pattadakal
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Group Of Monuments At Pattadakal (1987) · Pattadakal, Karnataka
A group of eighth-century temples on the bank of the Malaprabha river in northern Karnataka, built by the Chalukya kings for royal coronations, and a World Heritage Site because it is one of the few places where the northern and southern styles of Indian temple architecture stand side by side, experimented with by the same builders. The largest, the Virupaksha temple, was built by a queen to celebrate a victory and is still in worship, its walls carved with scenes from the epics. Pattadakal is almost always seen with two neighbours as a single trip. Badami, the Chalukya capital, has four cave temples cut into red sandstone cliffs above a green tank, among the finest early rock-cut temples in India. Aihole, called the cradle of Indian temple architecture, is a village scattered with more than a hundred temples from the fifth century onwards, including the apsidal Durga temple. Badami is the base. The area is remote and hot, and sees far fewer visitors than Hampi, three hours away, which is part of its appeal.
Pattadakal, Bagalkot District, Pattadakal, Karnataka, 587118, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical ASI pattern: Pattadakal, the Badami caves and the Aihole Durga temple complex each open around sunrise and close around sunset daily, with ticket counters stopping shortly before closing and each site ticketed separately. The ASI sculpture museums at Badami and Aihole keep shorter daytime hours and are commonly closed one day a week, often Friday. Worship at the Virupaksha temple follows its own ritual timings. Traps: reaching Aihole last in the day after the ticket counter has closed, and doing the Badami cave stairs at midday. Confirm all times locally.