Temples of Pattadakal

Pattadakal (also Pattadakallu) is situated in Bagalkot district of Karnataka; on the left side of Malaprabha River. It is about 10kms from Aihole and 22kms from Badami .

Pattadakal temple complex

Pattadakal was the capital of Chalukyan dynasty between 7^th and 8^th century. Pattadakal was also known as Raktapura (Red Town) because of the red stone that was abundantly found in the area. It was here that the Badami Chalukya kings were coronated. 

Kadasiddeshwara temple

Galaganatha temple

There are nine Shiva temples in Pattadakal. These temples exhibit the zenith of both Dravidian (South Indian) and Nagara (North Indian) style of architecture. Papanatha temple was a fusion of both the styles. Architects experimented with their architectural styles in Aihole and blended their styles to perfection in Pattadakal.

Virupaksha temple 

The Virupaksha temple stands out as the most important of all the temples in Pattadakal. It was built by Lokamahadevi to commemorate the victory of her husband Vikramaditya II against the Pallavas. A harmonious mixture of architectural styles can be seen in Virupaksha temple.

Other temples that are located in the complex are the Kadasiddeshwara temple, Galaganatha temple, Sangameshwara temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Kashivishwanatha temple, Paapanatha temple and Jambulinga temple.

Mallikarjuna and Kashi Vishwanatha temple

Sangameshwara temple

The abundance of Shiva temples in Pattadakal is a testimony to the fact that it was a great Shaiva centre in ancient times. 

The village of Pattadakal is small yet astonishingly beautiful. Driving through the narrow roads leading from Badami to Pattadakal is also an experience in itself. Do not worry if you had started off without eating anything as there are plenty of local women waiting near the gates to sell their homemade jawar rotis with some sabzi. But be careful about the curd they sell. It can make your memories really sour!

Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal

Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal is a 17^th century palace erected by Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai’s Nayak dynasty. The palace which is seen today was the main palace where the king lived. The original palace is believed to be four times bigger than the present one.

Entrance of the palace

The king constructed the palace to mark the shift of his capital from Tiruchi to Madurai. He is said to have utilized the services of an Italian architect to design the palace.

It is famous for its giant pillars. While the arches and domes reflect the Indo-Saracenic style, the pillars are a testimony of Gothic style.

Unfortunately, King’s grandson demolished much of the structure in later years to build his own palace in Tiruchi. He removed most of the jewels and wood carvings to build his palace. However, the palace was never constructed.

The Dance Hall

Whatever remains of the palace that we find at present is mainly because of the reconstruction that was undertaken by Lord Napier, Governor of Madras in 1870.

The Main Hall of the palace

The structure was constructed using foliated brickwork. The surface details and the exquisite stucco work was done using shell lime (chunnam) mixed with egg white to get a smooth and glossy texture.

One surely must have seen the palace pillars in the famous movie "Bombay" and its' well-known song "Kehna hi kya..."