Hampi >> Badmi >> Aihole >> Pattadakal
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As our shared Rickshaw made way to the edge of the village, I saw a couple of ancient temples near the road and familiar ASI-style signs. I thought of getting down there and walk further visiting the temples one after other, but I did not know how far more to go, and decided to continue to the village center. It was a kilometer ahead where the rickshaw dropped us.
It is a typical setup for a remote village turned tourist spot. There is an enclosure within which exist many ancient temples restored and managed by the ASI. And all around the enclosure are hawkers selling fruits, tender coconut and other edible stuff. A few tea shops sell some prepared food which gives you little choice, insisting you to eat what is available if you are hungry. And if you decide to have some tea(sorry, no coffee), be ready for a watery, sugary and ultra-strong concoction which can scare you off.
Durgi Temple, Aihole
I walked into the temple complex and went around it. It is all different, completely different from any ancient structure I have seen before. Each temple is different from other and the architects have let their imagination run wild when building them. Aihole’s temples don’t seem to have parallels anywhere in South India, or for that matter, anywhere in India or may be the whole world. A temple looks like it inspired the parliament building. Another temple has an entrance that immediately leads you to a fork where you have to choose your loyalty to one of the two deities inside. There are gopuras and carvings of all kind, and some temples completely devoid of any carvings. It reminds of all the modern out-of-place glass buildings back in Bangalore that appear like they are designed for a comedy show.
One of the experimental architecture of Aihole. The temple has entrance in the middle and two shrines
Remains of a temple complex
And no wonder, ASI is also confused in identifying these temples. My guide said most of the temples are named ad-hoc, as the deity inside were usually missing. For example, Lad Khan temple is named so because some guy called Lad Khan had lived inside that temple once; same goes with Gowda temple. Durgi gudi does not house goddess Durgi, but is called so because it is close to a compound wall or fort or ‘durga’. A temple did have a shivalinga inside but ASI insists that it was not a temple but a conference hall, and someone later installed a linga there. I smell fish in that description; did ASI cook up the story to keep it away from those who want to worship and perform pooja everyday? Every theory has some possibilities in Aihole. And then as though all the ancient experiments were not enough, ASI has tried its bit while restoring the temples, making its own poor imitations of missing pieces in the temples.
ASI’s restoration attempts in Aihole. No prices for guessing which one is original
Huchhimalli Temple
Aihole is a place where architectural styles were experimented and evolved. Over centuries, people tried, tested and perfected various models which probably got filtered into a few accepted styles that are seen in Pattadakal, and were eventually perfected by Hoysalas. ASI calls Aihole(or was it some historian?) as ‘cradle of Indian architecture’. The temples date from 6th century to 15th century, with constructions from Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties.
A temple Gopura in Aihole, which doesn’t affiliate to any standard architectural styles.
A house in the village, wonder if it is continuation of experiments in architecture in contemporary period!
Durgi Gudi and Lad Khan temple are in the main complex(called the museum) which get the attention of tourist buses and noisy crowds, but there are many many more where almost no one goes to. I like the way tourism happens; when something interesting exists and left on its own, no one cares much. You put a compound wall, levy an entry fee and tell people this is supposed to be important or pretty and suddenly bus loads start coming in! I headed out in search of dozens of temples littered all over the village and saw a variety that is unseen anywhere else. It surprises me why this is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site; if there is one place that simply fascinates the most uninterested too, it is Aihole, more than any other place.
Ravanaphadi is one of the two cave temples
Inside Ravanaphadi
I several styles and experiments during my walk. There is Huchhimalli temple constructed in a ‘mature’ northern or nagar style. Ravanaphadi is a cave temple in one end of the town with some carvings of deities inside, and to the other end of the town is another cave temple which is a Jain temple. Between them lie various temples but primarily worshiping forms of Shiva. Megoti temple is a jain temple on a hillock. Some of the temples still seem to have people living in or around them. There are temples all around the village, and Aihole is unique in every manner and unpredictable to any visitor.
The temple complexes are well maintained and clean. There are dustbins placed in each of these temples, and they are positioned rightly in a corner and as far from the temples as possible. How-ever, I only wish they had labeled it sensibly, like ‘Use me’ or something like that!
There are so many temples in Aihole, restoration work is not yet complete and might take ages to finish. Yet, one must appreciate all the effort put by ASI on refurbishing such a large array of temples.
Continued at: Information: Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal
Hampi >> Badmi >> Aihole >> Pattadakal
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Moving on from Pattadakal, I made a visit to the temple at Mahakuta. It was an impulsive decision – I had initially planned to spend a whole day in Pattadakal, but at some point changed my mind to go to Mahakuta. It turned out to be a good idea.
Unlike Pattadakal, Mahakoota’s temple is still alive with a deity(Lord Shiva in the name of Mahakooteshwara) and pooja happens everyday. That also means a fair happens here once a year which brings in people in large numbers. When I arrived there a little after 2pm, I met with usual bus loads of school children. I walked around the temple and was pleasantly surprised with the interiors.
Unlike its neighbours, this is not a temple that is restored to its original shape and maintained neatly by ASI. On the contrary, sections of the temple are dusty and unmaintained while the main courtyard is in good shape. A few modern additions and restorations have happened to suit the need of the temple, but it still retains the old world charm. The best and most beautiful part of the temple are the ficus trees that don the interior and have spread their tentacles all around to block the sun. Some of the temple gopuras are completely enveloped be the leafy trees and gives them a charming look.
The real temptation of the temple is a little fresh water pond in the main courtyard, with a appealing mantapa in a corner of it, and covered by trees all around it. The water in the pond is continuously replaced by a spring emerging from the ground, which keeps it fresh and clean. When I arrived, many of the children were swimming and bathing in the pond. After walking around the temple for a few minutes, I settled down comfortably, watching the kids at play in the water.
In some time, the cool of the shaded and leafy courtyard had made me close my eyes without my knowledge. When I woke up and saw the time, it was nearly 3.30pm. The group of children in the pond had gone, and there were no visitors left in the temple. There was complete silence around and only people in the temple were a couple of staff who sat idly in a corner. The absolute silence in the pleasant atmosphere filled me with peace and held me to the place. I took another slow walk along the inner walls of the temple, visiting each of its shrines.
Mahakoota’s temple has an attraction that I have not seen anywhere in its neighbouring counterparts. Roots hanging from ficus trees, leafy gopuras and the silence inside put me in a state of solitude and feeling of fulfillment I had always longed for. It is an experience I wish went on forever. Along with the all this, I spotted a Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher – an unlikely guest in these parts – who hopped around the gopuras with me for a few minutes and went away. I wonder if he was here just to complete my experience.
Sometime later, I jumped into the fresh water pool and had it all for myself for almost an hour. Needless to say, it was pleasure at its best form. Mahakoota was the highlight of my visit to the region, I had the time of my life in those waters. I left Mahakoota unwillingly as the sun was about to set and had to return to my temporary abode at Badami. It is an experience not to forget.
Continued at: The Cricket Hour at Aihole
Hampi >> Badmi >> Aihole >> Pattadakal
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Buses from Badami to Pattadakal were not very frequent. Some one was standing at the edge of the bus stand and shouting ‘Pattadakalla.. Pattadakalla..’. I went with him to a waiting matador, which started off only after a good half hour. By the time I reached there, it was nearly 9.30am.
A section of the temple complex
Like Badami and Aihole, Pattadakal also received bus loads of children on school excursions. It is a pattern I have got used to in the last couple of days. A bus comes in honking loudly and stops near the temples. Children rush out of the bus, not heeding much to the shouts of their teachers and run towards the temple complex. They group together at the gate and unwillingly assemble in a queue when the teachers shout at them. Once the entry tickets are bought, they walk in through the narrow gate and quickly break from the line into a few huddles of friends. Suddenly temples will be full of shouts and noises within no time. Smaller children run around quickly along the temples amusing themselves, the bigger ones walk in ‘style’ and get their photographs taken along with their best buddies. In a few minutes it is all over, especially if the group decides not to hire a guide. It is like a storm coming in suddenly and moving on as suddenly without causing any damage. Silence claims back its place once again in the temples.
It is slightly different when they hire guides. The ASI guide addresses a large gathering of various type of kids. The ones close to the guide listen to him with a clear expression of awe in their eyes. The backsiders are always trying to escape and looking for distraction, but are helplessly held by the glare of the teachers. The most studious once are easy to identify – they walk around with a note book in hand.
It gets as noisy as it can as long as the kids are around. But it is good to make them see these places – it definitely gives a good visual of our history and heritage; much better than just having to learn about them in the text books.
Pattadakal is a UNESCO world heritage site, and has a temple complex dating back to 8th century. It is said that a considerable amount of architecture in Southern India is borrowed from here, with Hoysalas and other dynasties taking cues from here and evolving further. I wonder if they had learning students coming into the temples in large loads those days too and make all sorts of noises, I don’t know! The complex, restored by ASI has temples in various architectural forms, which sometime seem to be experimental. There are a few tiny temple like structures that are only a few feet high, and my guide explained them to be ‘model temples’ built before the big ones were made. It is also one of the few places where both southern(dravidian) and northern(nagar or rekhanagar) style of architectures are found in the same place.
Jambulingeshwara temple. In the background is Kadasiddheswara temple
Galaganatha temple with nagar style goupra is one of the prime attractions of Pattadakal
On the walls of Kadasiddheswara temple, which is built in rekhanagar style. Walls of Rekhanagar style temple are usually plane and you see very few or no carvings.
The temples are made of sandstone. The carvings have been fading and softening over the years on the external walls due to effect of sunlight. Besides, until ASI took over the area a few decades ago, people had occupied and lived in this temple and had imparted considerable damages over the years. But ASI’s restoration work has been excellent.
Viroopaksha temple is built in Dravidian style and has many fine carvings on its walls and gopura
Carvings on a pillar of Viroopaksha temple
My guide took me around, showing me through Galaganatha, Mallikarjauna, Virupaksha temple among others. The temples with nagar architecture, like the Galaganatha temple are visibly distinct from the Dravidian architecture in the style of the Gopuras ans absence of intricate carvings along the temple walls. The Dravidian style temples consisted plenty of stories carved along its walls, primarily from Ramayana and Mahabharata, and some more on the lifestyles of those days and some erotica.
Malaprabha river with temples in the background
It took me a few hours of wandering along the temple complex, which is located right next to Malaprabha river. The location of the temples is said to be holy, since the river flows as Uttarabhimukhi(flowing from south to north), unlike most rivers that tend to flow east to west or west to east. Infact the same theory applies to Ganga in Varanasi. I walked crossed a bridge to get views of the temple from other side and spent some time there. I was planning to stay on till evening, but changed my mind sometime in the afternoon and headed to explore Mahakoota, another temple half-an-hour away from here.
Continued at: Mahakoota