Upper Shivalaya Gudi

Lower Shiva temple, best point to have great view of Agastya lake and Badami caves. The hike to this place inside the Badami fort take you inside the 5th century world. Try not to visited during summer or during noon. Early morning visit to the fort and places around are recommended as it will be less crowded.

Upper Shivalaya is an ancient temple located in Badami, a town in the state of Karnataka, India. The temple is situated on a hill and is believed to have been built during the 5th century AD by the Chalukya dynasty.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped here in the form of Mahakuta. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture, intricate carvings, and historical significance.

The Upper Shivalaya temple is a small structure, but it is beautifully carved with various sculptures and reliefs depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The temple is also known for its intricate ceiling designs and elaborate pillars, which are adorned with beautiful carvings of various deities.

The temple is situated on a hill, and visitors must climb a flight of stairs to reach it. From the top of the hill, visitors can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, including the town of Badami, the Agastya Lake, and the nearby Badami Cave Temples.

Overall, Upper Shivalaya is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in ancient Indian architecture and history. It offers a glimpse into the rich cultural and religious traditions of the region and is a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the Chalukya dynasty.

This Shivalaya located on top of the Mountain

You can Trek and visit this place, free entry

No crowded place, Amazing place for photography and Historical lovers

On top you can see a beautiful view of Sunset and Badami hole Town

Must visit place lot of surprise places are there ️

Nice architecture well maintained but the near by kappearebhatta inscription is not well maintained by the archaeology dept. Need to put more information regarding inscription and maintain cleanliness near inscription

This temple (c. 600–625 CE) is found on the highest section of the northern hill, it is northeast of the Lower Shivalaya. Though called "Upper Shivalaya", it is actually a Vaishnava temple.
The outer walls of the temple create a rectangle containing a square sanctum and a symmetric pradakshinapatha inside. The sanctum opens into a columned mandapa on the east. This is a ruined temple in parts, as it is missing its internal columns. The walls are built on a basement with a central recessed course containing foliate ornament and narrative scenes. On the south face, Ramayana episodes are pictured, which Meister and Dhaky call as "elegant narratives in discrete and expressive figures". These include the waking of Kumbhakarna, scenes from various Rama legends. Panels on the west face depict the birth and childhood of Lord Krishna, including Krishna sucking Putana’s breasts. Though there are no narratives seen on the north.
The walls above have narrow projections by pilasters carried up into the parapet, four on the south and three on the west. The central pilastered projections have panels depicting Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana (south), Narasimha disemboweling his victim (north), etc. These support miniature eaves and kudus, the latter intruding in the kapota eaves. The square tower over the sanctuary has pilastered walls. It is crowned by a large kuta, without finial, the earliest and best preserved example of this type of Dravida styled roof in Early Chalukya architecture.

Built in early decades of 600 CE, this awesome temple is one of the oldest surviving structural stone temples of South India. It is situated in the highest summit of the Northern Hill of Badami. Access is through the Fort gate, via steps that lead through stunningly beautiful vistas. It is an exhilerating trek of 30 to 40 minutes (one way) but will worth the effort. Both the temple and the view of the countryside all around are memorable.
The sanctum of the temple is now empty. The outer walls are ornamented with narrative panels illustrating events from Ramayana and Krishna Leela. Inspite of being weather worn, the friezes are exquisite.

ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಬದಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊರೆದು ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿದ ಬಾದಾಮಿಯ ಗುಹಾಲಯಗಳು ವಿಶ್ವವಿಖ್ಯಾತವಾಗಿವೆ. ಈ ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಬುಡದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕೆರೆಯ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ತೀರದಲ್ಲಿ ಊರು ಹಬ್ಬಿದೆ. ಗುಡ್ಡದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೋಟೆಯೂ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರ ಕಾಲದ ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳೂ ಕಟ್ಟಡಗಳೂ ಇವೆ. ಕೆರೆಯ ಉತ್ತರದ ದಡದ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಂಡೆಯೊಂದರ ಮೇಲೆ ಕಪ್ಪೆ ಅರಭಟ್ಟನ ಶಾಸನವನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಹತ್ತಿರದಲ್ಲೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬಂಡೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಮುನ್ನಿದ್ದ ಶಾಸನವನ್ನು ಅಳಿಸಿ ಕೆತ್ತಲಾಗಿರುವ ಪಲ್ಲವ ನರಸಿಂಹವರ್ಮನ ಜಯಶಾಸನವನ್ನೂ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಭಾರತೀಯ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಕಲೆಯ ತೊಟ್ಟಿಲೆಂದೆನಿಸಿರುವ ಐಹೊಳೆ (ಐವಳಿ) ಪಟ್ಟದಕಲ್ಲುಗಳೂ, ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರ ಪೂರ್ವ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದಿರಬಹುದಾದ ಮಹಾಕೂಟವೂ ಬಾದಾಮಿಗೆ ಅನತಿ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿಯೆ ಇವೆ.

One of the best places for visitors and tourists where the history of Badami is hidden in this region.

The Upper Shivalaya is beautiful temple on top of hill situated near fort. This is Hindu religious temple. The beautiful view of Badami city and Agastya lake from the temple.

The view is incredible at the peak point, there one shiva temple and mosque is there.
Temple is called to be Upper Shivalaya, from the museum there is a path left side. Small trek kind need to climb fre steps to reach this temple. You get lower Shivalaya temple as well.
One should not carry any eatbale or valuable things as there is monkeys kingdom.