Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, UNESCO World Heritage Site

One of the ancient historic site in Karnataka built during 8th century. It displays one of the finest architecture of our history. No need to say that still there's lot to see around if you spend time enough to see. Guide is a must to know the historical aspect of the site. Its a pleasure to witness such marvellous structures and therefore we have to make sure we preserve it the way it is now.

It's world of different, for family time - for culture -for history -for nature - for life - totality is the word I can use. Wholesome Carvings will provide you a full life history. Go, go and enjoy the glorious history.

Reading the history books or watching the Vlogs, this place subtly invites you for a visit, and I was no exception; so finally planned for Pattadakallu along with Badami & Aihole.

The temple complex dates back to 400 CE & hence it's a time travel to that era. Most of the temples are Shiva temples that rightly represent the prevalence of shaivism during the time. As the monuments are protected by ASI, they are taking good care.

Whenever you visit, find a corner to relax and delve deep into the culture, society, people, faiths, mythologies. & See the temple carvings and these stones will eagerly tell you their stories. Haha!

Impressive archaeological complex, very old constructions carved in stone with different styles. It is worth the visit

A must must visit, multiple temples different styles showcasing ancient history. And the maintenance is great, fusion of temples here and few more nearby, each and every one is worth a visit. Do not get drinks or food, just after a min or 2 mins drive, you can buy drinks half the prize and quality food if you drive a little further. Carry water, and keep some snacks handy, do not buy them around these places, do not encourage such bad practices. I also didn’t hire any guide, I would suggest not to, but it’s up to you though. I took a slow walk around and covered the whole place looking at whatever grabbed my attention and loved the moment, so I repeat, a must visit.

Our Hindu ancestors - great people, great artists, having great democratic civilization.
Foreign Bahamani invaders tried to destroy great artistic monuments, temples there but remains are still there at Hampi, Pattadakallu, Hiolu.
We are proud of Vijayanagaram Empire.

Very nice place to visit

1. Govt of Karnataka can focus still more and make it better to invite international travellers

2. Govt busses are there once in 30 min.

3. Govt can operate mini busses and increase the frequency as this will help people like me to visit frequently.

Pattadakallu is a fine example of mixture of North and South architecture in one place. Several marvelous temples have been made here where worship was done in olden days of Chalukya dynasty. Entry fees is only forty rupees per head.

ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವು ತಪ್ಪು ಕಲ್ಪನೆ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಕೂಡ ತನ್ನದೇ ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ವರ್ಣನೆ ಇದೆ. ಹಾಗೂ ಇನ್ನೊಂದ್ ವಿಚಾರ ಇದರ ಸುತ್ತುಲ ಪರಿಸರ ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ಸರಕಾರ ಮನೆಯ ಬಳಿ ಇರುವ ವಸ್ತು ಎಲ್ಲಾನೂ ಇದರ ತಡೆಗೋಡೆ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಬರೆ ಹಾಕಿ ಹಾಳು ಮಾಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ.

Beautiful carvings, this is the place kings were coroneted. As per our guide king use to take bath in the river, visited Shiva temple and finally coroneted.

UNESCO world heritage site. Viru paksh temple is active and a must visit. The carvings in the complex structure is breathtaking and mesmerising. Badami and Auhole are nearby for a complete experience of architecture on granite stones.

Awesome place for heritage lovers. Make sure you hire a guide to know all the details and interesting facts of the monuments.

If want see how old generation is much developed then present generation just visit this place see how they did this

UNESCO World Heritage Site is a testament to the richness of Chalukyan architecture during the 7th and 8th centuries and is renowned for its intricately chiselled temples. The temples in Pattadakal bear testimony to the richness and timeless splendour of the Chalukyan architecture. It has a cluster of 10 major temples, which showcase some striking architectural features. The world-famous geographer Ptolemy (150 AD) has documented the town as “Perti gal”. It was even used as the ceremonial centre where kings were crowned and commemorated. Pattadakal has temple architecture from Dravidian, Aryan and a mixture of both styles in its temple complex; probably making it the only one of its kind in India. There is a sculpture gallery maintained by Archeological Survey of India within the Pattadakal temple complex.

Temples in Pattadakal

Virupaksha Temple

The temple was built by Queen Loka Mahadevi, wife of King Vikramaditya II after the successful military campaigns in Kancheepuram. The temple has a vast quadrangle surrounded by small cells or shrines. It has a massive gateway and a small gate behind. At the entrance is a Nandimantapa supported by large pillars. The great hall of the temple has a roof that rests on 16 massive square columns arranged in 4 rows. These columns have excellently wrought episodes from the Puranas. It is believed that the Kailasa Temple at Ellora was built on the model of the Virupaksha Temple.

Mallikarjuna Temple

It was originally called the Trailokeswara Maha Saila Prasada and built around 740 AD by Queen Trailokya Mahadevi. Architecturally, almost like a twin of Virupaksha Temple, the Mallikarjuna temple was built for the same purpose, at the same time as Virupaksha temple which stands beside it. The inner walls are engraved with episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Sangameswara Temple

The Sangameshwara Temple, built during the reign of King Vijayaditya, is the earliest temple. It has a garbha griha with a Dravida vimana. The outer walls of the sanctum have sculptures of UgraNarasimha and Nataraja.

Galaganatha Temple

The Galaganatha Temple is a dilapidated temple of the 8th Century AD and has a northern style curvilinear shikhara. The shikhara has all amalaka motifs with a finial atop. This is a Shiva temple with a Shivalinga in black basalt.

Kashi Visweshwara Temple
This is another temple with a curvilinear shikhara. The inner ceiling of the Kashi Visweshwara temple has the figures of Shiva, Parvathi and child Skanda surrounded by the Dikpalas.

Papanatha Temple
The Papanatha Temple mentioned as ‘Mukteshwara’, seems to have been completed around 740 AD. It has a frontal mantapa, sabhamantapa, ante-chamber and a squarish garbhagriha. The architecture of this temple is a mixture of Dravida and Nagara styles.

Jambulinga Temple
This is a small temple behind the Galaganatha Temple with a curvilinear shikara. Its outer walls have figures of Vishnu, Ardhanarishwara and Lakulisha.

Kadasiddeshwara Temple
This is similar in design to the Jambulinga Temple. The entrance lintel has beautiful images of Shiva and Parvathi seated on a Nandi, flanked by Brahma and Vishnu.

Jain Temple
Outside the town is a huge Jain Basadi built in the 9th century AD. This temple has been constructed in Rashtrakuta style with huge elephants welcoming the visitors at the entrance.

Pattadakal Dance Festival: In February under the sponsorship of Govt of Karnataka, the Chalukyan stronghold of Pattadakal, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the venue for the Pattadakal Dance Festival (also known as the Chalukya Utsava) with performers from all over the world congregating here.

Places to visit near Pattadakal
A visit to Pattadakal is often clubbed with a visit to Aihole (14 km from Aihole) and Badami (22 km from Pattadakal)

Pattadakal, formerly known as Raktapura, is a small town in the Bagalkot district of north Karnataka, India. It is famous for its UNESCO world heritage site. The modern town contains the 7th and 8th century collection of nine Hindu and one Jain temple built by the Chalukya dynasty. There are 10 major temples in Pattadakal, all dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temples contain elements of both South Indian (Dravidian) and North Indian (Nagara) styles of architecture. Pattadakal is a famous historical town in Karnataka. Hampi and Pattadakal are the only world heritage sites in Karnataka as declared by the UNESCO.

The Pattadakal monuments are located in the Indian state of Karnataka, about 165 kilometers (103 mi) southeast of Belgaum, 265 kilometres (165 mi) northeast from Goa, 14 miles (23 km) from Badami, via Karnataka state highway SH14, and about 6 miles (9.7 km) from Aihole, set midst sandstone mountains and Malaprabha river valley. In total, there are over 150 Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monuments, and archaeological discoveries, dating from the 4th to 10th century CE, in addition to prehistoric dolmens and cave paintings that are preserved at the Pattadakal-Badami-Aihole site.

The nearest airport to Pattadakal is Sambra Belgaum Airport, a 3-hour drive to the west, which operates daily flights to Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.
Access to the site by train is also possible via an Indian Railways service that stops at Badami on the Hubballi-Solapur line.

Pattadakal is village in bagalkot district of Karnataka state. This place is famous for group of monuments constructed by Early Chalukya s. The temples are 10 in number and 9 temples are situated in a complex and one temple is situated apart from it. 9 temples were dedicated for lord siva and 10th temple represent jainism. Thr monuments are the living example of chalukyan legacy. The temple are adorned with beautiful sculptures related to Ramayana, mahabharata epic stories.

During our family tour to ‘Magical Hampi’ in Karnataka, while returning to home, on route we gave a visit to the famous ‘Pattadakal group of monuments’. It is a major Temple Complex, which is located in Bagalkot District of Karnataka. It is a complex of 7th and 8th century and is one of UNESCO World Heritage site. This complex is situated on the west bank of the Malaprabha River and is about 22 KM away from Badami.
There are ten major temples at Pattadakal, out of which nine temples of Hindu and one of Jain. Eight of the major temples are built together and a ninth one about half a km to south of this complex, and the tenth, a Jain temple, located about a km to the west of the main complex. The Hindu temples are all connected by a walkway, while the Jain temple has road access. Four temples are constructed in the traditional Dravidian style of architecture and another 4 temples are constructed in the Nagara architecture. Among these temples, The Virupaksha temple is an active house of Hindu worship.
It is open from 7 AM to 6 PM and the entry tickets is Rs. 40/- per person for Indians. It is a must visit place during your trip to Badami.

These monument takes you back to ancient days. Such a wonderful experience.
Hire a guide and don't forget to taste food in lingayat khanavali which is infront of the gate.its good and authentic.

Every stone has a story, despite being in ruins this is a marvelous complex of architectural beauty. Not able to understand why ASI or Dept of Tourism hasn't made enough efforts to educate the visitors with information decks, small hoardings, etc. Ofcourse a guide will make your job easy but there can be language problems as well.

Historical, nice n clean place coz its maintained by archeological department. It was less crowded. Must visit place. Badami Pattadakallu Ihole.

One of the best heritage site ever seen. 101 Shiva linga are there. But there is no good hotel or restaurant for tourist. They have to stay in nearby Badami area where basic amenities are found.

Must visit archeological site If you visit badami.
Group of temples built during 7th and 8th century are mesmerizing.the entrance from riverside, grand Nandi, grand Shiv Linga, everything makes this temple worth watching.

One must gets into thought how grandeur life the people used to live here.

Wonderful experience getting to know the history. Aihole temple happens to be one of the inspirations for the design of our parliament.:)

Can't express in words or pictures. Please visit atleast once in your lifetime.
Only negative is the number of street hawkers they crowd around you the moment you step out. Atleast they're not allowed within the site where the temple is situated.

Treat to eyes. I have visited many monuments, historical places but Pattadakal catches a ver different attention. It's a must visit. If you are here around Bagalkot it's definitely must

Situated in the southern State of Karnataka, Pattadakal group of monuments are famous for their harmonious blend of architectural forms of northern and southern India. Pattadakal, the capital of the Chalukya dynasty of medieval India, is 22 km away from Badami and 514 km from Bangalore. This famous world heritage site consists of a group of ten major temples, each displaying interesting architectural features.

Built in the 7th and 8th centuries, the Pattadakal monument was famous for royal coronation called 'Pattadakisuvolal'. Temples constructed here mark the blending of the Rekha Nagara Prasada and the Dravida Vimana styles of temple building. The oldest temple at Pattadakal is the simple but massive Sangamesvara built by Vijayaditya Satyasraya (A. D. 697-733).

The Mallikarjuna and the Virupaksha temples at Pattadakal, were built by two queens of Vikaramaditya II, to commemorate the victory of the Chalukyas over the Pallavas. Virupaksha temple, built by Queen Lokamahadevi, was originally called Lokeshwara. This temple is built in the southern Dravida style and is the largest in the enclosure. It has a massive gateway and several inscriptions.

Virupaksha temple also served as a model for the Rashtrakuta ruler to carve out the great Kailasa at Ellora. The sculptural art of the early Chalukyas is characterized by grace and delicate details. The ceiling panels of the navagrahas, dikpalas, the dancing Nataraja, the wall niches containing Lingodbhava, Ardhanarisvara, Tripurari, Varahavishnu, Trivikrama bear ample testimony to the sculptor's skill as well as the cult worship that was in vogue. The narrative relief's illustrating certain episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Panchatantra fitted well with these grand religious edifices.

The Jambulinga Temple at Pattadakal has a fine figure of the Dancing Shiva with Nandi (bull) & Parvathi by his side. Built with a northern style tower, there is a horse-shoe arched projection on its facade.

The Chandrashekhara and Kadasideeshwara are the other major temples here, and Pattadakal also has a Jaina basadi of Rashtrakuta times with two beautiful elephants in front.

Located on the banks of the Malaprabha River, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a testament to the richness of Chalukyan architecture during the 7th and 8th centuries and is renowned for its intricately chiselled temples. The temples in Pattadakal bear testimony to the richness and timeless splendour of the Chalukyan architecture. It has a cluster of 10 major temples, which showcase some striking architectural features. The world-famous geographer Ptolemy (150 AD) has documented the town as “Perti gal”. It was even used as the ceremonial centre where kings were crowned and commemorated. Pattadakal has temple architecture from Dravidian, Aryan and a mixture of both styles in its temple complex; probably making it the only one of its kind in India. There is a sculpture gallery maintained by Archeological Survey of India within the Pattadakal temple complex.

पत्तदकल स्मारक परिसर भारत के कर्नाटक राज्य में एक पत्तदकल नामक कस्बे में स्थित है। यह अपने पुरातात्विक महत्व के कारण प्रसिद्ध है। चालुक्य वंश के राजाओं ने सातवीं और आठवीं शताब्दी में यहाँ कई मंदिर बनवाए। एहोल को स्थापत्यकला का विद्यालय माना जाता है, बादामी को महाविद्यालय तो पत्तदकल को विश्वविद्यालय कहा जाता है। यहाँ कुल दस मंदिर हैं, जिनमें एक जैन धर्मशाला भी शामिल है। इन्हें घेरे हुए ढेरों चैत्य, पूजा स्थल एवं कई अपूर्ण आधारशिलाएं हैं। यहाँ चार मंदिर द्रविड़ शैली के हैं, चार नागर शैली के हैं एवं पापनाथ मंदिर मिश्रित शैली का है। पत्तदकल को १९८७ में युनेस्को द्वारा विश्व धरोहर स्थल घोषित किया गया था।
विरुपाक्ष मंदिर यहाँ का सर्वश्रेष्ठ मंदिर है। इसे महाराज विक्रमादित्य द्वितीय की पत्नी लोकमहादेवी ने ७४५ ई. में अपने पति की कांची के पल्लव वंश पर विजय के स्मारक रूप में बनवाया था। यह मंदिर कांची के कैलाशनाथ मंदिर से बहुत मिलता जुलता है। वही मंदिर इस मंदिर की प्रेरणा है। यही विरुपाक्ष मंदिर एल्लोरा में राष्ट्रकूट वंश द्वारा बनवाये गये कैलाशनाथ मंदिर की प्रेरणा बना। इस मंदिर की शिल्पाकृतियों में कुछ प्रमुख हैं लिंगोद्भव, नटराज, रावाणानुग्रह, उग्रनृसिंह, आदि।

इसके अलावा संगमेश्वर मंदिर भी काफी आकर्षक है। यह मंदिर अधूरा है। इसे महाराज विजयादित्य सत्याश्रय ने बनवाया था। यहाँ के काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर को राष्ट्रकूट वंश ने आठवीं शताब्दी में बनवाया था। निकटस्थ ही मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर है। इसे विक्रमादित्य की द्वितीय रानी त्रिलोकमहादेवी द्वारा ७४५ ई. में बनवाया गया था। यह विरुपाक्ष मंदिर का एक छोटा प्रतिरूप है। गल्गनाथ मंदिर में भगवान शिव को अंधकासुर का मर्दन करते हुए दिखाया गया है। कदासिद्धेश्वर मंदिर में शिव की त्रिशूल धारी मूर्ति है। जम्बुलिंग मंदिर में शिवलिंग स्थापित है। ये सभी नागर शैली में निर्मित हैं।

यहां के जैन मंदिर पत्तदकल-बादामी मार्ग पर स्थित है। ये मयनाखेत के राष्ट्रकूटों द्वारा द्रविड़ शैली में निर्मित हैं। यहां नौवीं शताब्दी के कुछ बहुत ही सुंदर शिल्प के नमूने हैं। इन्हे अमोघवर्षा प्रथम या उसके पुत्र कृष्ण द्वितीय ने बनवाया था। यहां का पापनाथ मंदिर वेसारा शैली में निर्मित है। ६८० ई. में निर्मित यह मंदिर पहले नागर शैली में आरम्भ हुआ था, पर बाद में द्रविड़ शैली में बदला गया। यहां के शिल्प रामायण एवं महाभारत की घटनाओं के बारे में बताते हैं। इस मंदिर में आलमपुर, आंध्र प्रदेश के नवब्रह्म मंदिर की झलक दिखाई देती है। यह मंदिर भी इसी वंश ने बनवाया था।

यहाँ के बहुत से शिल्प अवशेष यहाँ बने प्लेन्स के संग्रहालय तथा शिल्प दीर्घा में सुरक्षित रखे हैं। इन संग्रहालयों का अनुरक्षण भारतीय पुरातत्व सर्वेक्षण विभाग करता है। ये भूतनाथ मंदिर मार्ग पर स्थित हैं। इनके अलावा अन्य महत्त्वपूर्ण स्मारकों में, अखण्ड एकाश्म स्तंभ, नागनाथ मंदिर, चंद्रशेखर मंदिर एवं महाकुटेश्वर मंदिर भी हैं, जिनमें अनेक शिलालेख हैं।

The group of monuments of patalkal have the most temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. One the temple is yet in very good condition and religious rituals take place daily. The site situated along a river. These were built in around 7th century AD in the chalukya era.
When you their the Nandi in virupeksha temple is a remarkable one.

Beautiful rock temples built in the 8th century dedicated to lord coupled with lush greenery it's a pure delight to the eyes. Located about an hour's drive from badami

Archaeologically important well preserved chalukya temples are present in group in patadakal in the bagalgot district of karnataka. Nagarajan and Dravidian type architecture temples are present. Various hair styles, different type of armaments and dresses were shown.panchatanra, ramayanam and mahabharatham stories are shown. It is a must visit place for archeological lovers

Here each frame is a picture frame, still no camera can capture what our eyes can see.
Set aside the Malaprabha river this group of monuments at Pattadakal represents the highest level of an eclectic art form which had been patronized and nurtured by the Chalukya's in the 7th and 8th centuries.
The complex portrays a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India.

It's a true example of the architectural excellence of ancient India. You will wonder, how the temples have built in those days.

Excellent UNESCO place, 1300 years old temples in sandstone and very good condition, Don't miss, must visit.

Very nice maintained and not even the single piece of paper over there! Temple well constructed is in South indian style as well as in North Indian style

One should visit to see shiva temple and musical pillars. Architecture of temple is remarkable and glorious! Should take care of them