Pattadakal

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PATTADAKAL, also spelled PATTADAKALU is a World Heritage Site, a Village and an important tourist centre in the State of Karnataka, and is located on the left bank of the MALAPRABHA River in Bagalkot District.  It is 22km from BADAMI and 514km from AIHOLE, both of which are well-known for Chalukya monuments.  The pre-Chalukya historical and archaeological site BACHINAGUDDA is also near Pattadakal.

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Pattadakal, the place for Chalukya’s Coronation, was the capital of the Chalukya Dynasty of Karnataka in Southern India.  The Chalukyas built many Temples here between the 7th and 9th century.  There are 10 Temples, including a Jain Sanctuary, surrounded by numerous small shrines and Plinths in fusion of various Indian architectural styles (Rekha, Nagara, Prasada and Dravida Vimana) .  Four Temples were built in Chalukyan Dravidian style, four in the Nagara style of Northern India and the PAPANATHA Temple in mixed style.  Nine Shiva Temples and one Jaina Basadi, situated along the northern course of the river, which is considered as very auspicious according to the Holy Scriptures.

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Pattadakal was a great centre of art and architecture.  According to the inscriptions, the place was known by the names KISOVOLAL (red town  ——- mostly mountains near Pattadakal gave this name, RAKTAPURA.  It continued to be an important centre under the RASHTRAKUTAS and the KALYANI CHALUKYAS.  It became a chief city for a small region called KISUKADU.  The SINDHAS of YARAMABARIGE (Yelburgi) also ruled it for some time.

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UNESCO, in 1987, included PATTADAKAL in its list of World Heritage Sites.  The group of 8th century monuments in Pattadakal are the culmination of earliest experiments in the VESARA style of Hindu Temple architecture.

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VIRUPAKSHA Temple is the largest and grandest of all the Temples in Pattadakal.  It was built in the 8th century by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband Vikramaditya — 2 victories over the Pallavas of Kanchi.  The Temple has rich sculptures.  It has a sanctum, pillared navaranga and triple entrances from the north, east and south porches.  It has a massive gateway in front from the east.

Coolest heritage sites in India – Part 2

You can read Part 1 here…

VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE, Hampi, Karnataka

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The 9-tiered tower is about 50m high.  Commissioned in the early 16th century, it stands as the only unspoilt structure in the middle of the vast ruins of an ancient city.

HULIKERE TANK, Karnataka

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Hidden in a small hamlet in South India is this beautiful tank surrounded by niches on all four sides.  It served as a bath for Queens in the first half of the 12th century.

 OUR LADY OF LOURDES CATHEDRAL, Thrissur, Kerala

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This Cathedral was built more than a 100 years ago, its towers still stand tall in the centre of Thrissur town.

THANJAVUR TEMPLE, Tamil Nadu

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The tall Brihadeeswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and built from sandstone in Tanjavur, recently turned 1000 years old.  One of its more interesting features is the large stone dome on top of the temple tower, which weighs more than 80 tons.  How the stone was lifted to such a height, remains a mystery.

 PATWON KI HAVELI, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

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This site is a cluster of 5 private residences that once belonged to a merchant family, now declared a heritage monument.  The oldest of the 5 is just under 200 years.

BATHING GHATS, Varanasi.

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Varanasi is often called the OLDEST LIVING CITY IN THE WORLD.  The bathing ghats and temples along the banks of the River Ganges are visited by 1000s of pilgrims every day.

TAJ MAHAL, Agra

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The list wouldn’t be complete without the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.  It is now one of the most well-known monuments in India and has been mentioned in the list of “new wonders of the world.”   —— Arun Bhat

Virupaksha Temple

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Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi, 350km from Bengaluru, in the state of Karnataka.  It is part of the group of monuments at Hampi, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Hampi sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River, in the ruins of the ancient city of Vijayanagar.  The Virupaksha Temple is the main centre of pilgrimage at Hampi, and has been considered as the most sacred sanctuary over the centuries.  It is fully intact amid the surrounding ruins and is still used in worship.  The Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Viru, as the consort of the local Goddess Pampa, who is associated with the Tungabhadra River.

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The Temple’s history is uninterrupted from about the 7th century.  The Viru-Pampa Sanctuary existed well before the Vijayanagar Capital was located here.  Inscriptions referring to Lord Shiva date back to the 9th and 10th centuries.  What started as a small shrine grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagar Rulers.  Evidence indicate there were additions made to the Temple in the late Chalukya and Hoysala peiods, though most of the Temple building is attributed to the Vijayanagar period.

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Under the Vijayanagar Rulers, in the middle of the 14th century, there began a flowering of native art and culture.  When the rulers were defeated by Muslim Invaders, in the 16th century, most of the wonderful decorative structures and creations were systematically destroyed.

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At present, the main Temple consists of a sanctuary, 3 ante-chambers, a pillared hall, and an open pillared hall.  A pillared cloister, entrance gateways, courtyards, smaller shrines and other structures surround the Temple.

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The 9-tiered eastern gateway, which is the largest at 50m, is well proportioned and incorporates some earlier structures.  It has a brick super-structure and a stone base.  it gives access  to the outer court containing many sub-shrines.  The small eastern gateway leads to the inner court with its numerous smaller shrines.

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A narrow channel, of the Tungabhadra River, flows along the Temple’s terrace and then descends to the temple-kitchen and out through the outer court.

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Krishnadevaraya, one of the famous kings of the Vijayanagar Empire, was a major patron of this temple.  The most ornate of all structures in the temple, the central pillared hall is believed to be his addition to the temple.  It is recorded that Krishnadevaraya commissioned this hall in 1510 AD.

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The temple continues to prosper and attract huge crowds for the betrothal and marriage festivities of Virupaksha and Pampa in December.  In the month of February, the annual “chariot” festival is celebrated here.

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