The Calukyas of Bādāmi occupied Deccan at a point when it was dotted by trivial kingdoms. Pulakēśi I (535/543‒66 CE) fortified Bādāmi in 544 CE and made it his capital. Aihoḷe sprang up near Bādāmi as a temple city. Eventually Mahākūṭa came up as a Śaiva centre and Paṭṭadakal transpired as a royal coronation centre. Thus, the Malaprabhā basin was occupied by its new overlords, the Calukyas of Bādāmi, who ruled for about two centuries, between the mid-6th and the mid-8th centuries CE, until overthrown by the Rāṣṭrakūṭas. The dynasty left prolific temple remains, unique in terms of their style and execution often referred to as the Karnāṭa Draviḍa style. The Calukyan temples saw their daylight at Bādāmi (mid 6th century CE), where four cave temples were constructed at the beginning of their rule. Close to their decline (mid 8th century CE), at Paṭṭadakal, nine fully conceived Calukyan temples became representative of the grandeur of the Calukyan architecture. This image gallery presents photographs of these very temple and cave complexes.
Visual Remains of the Calukyas
in Image Gallery
Published on: 22 November 2018
Ajeya Vajpayee
Ajeya Vajpayee is a research scholar. She has recently completed her M.Phil from the Department of History, University of Delhi. She has specialised in ancient Indian History. Her research interest lies in the art historical traditions of ancient India. She has experience documenting a number of regions and sites across India.
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