Hidden in the shadow of Elephanta’s famous Main Cave, Cave 2 preserves a rare glimpse into the creation of India’s rock-cut temples. Its unfinished halls, tool marks, and abandoned chambers offer intriguing clues to one of Elephanta’s greatest mysteries—why was this cave never completed?
A short walk east of the Main Cave of Elephanta, one of the finest achievements of Indian rock-cut architecture, stands a lesser-known excavation known today as Cave 2. Overshadowed by the grandeur of its famous neighbor, it is often overlooked by visitors. Yet this unfinished cave preserves some of the most valuable clues to understanding how the Elephanta caves were created. Its rough walls, incomplete halls and chambers, visible tool marks, and associated cisterns offer a rare glimpse into the excavation process and raise one of the most intriguing questions at Elephanta: Why was Cave 2 never completed?
Several areas within Cave 2 appear to be frozen at different stages of completion. Some sections retain a rough, unfinished appearance, with uneven surfaces and partially excavated walls, while others display extensive tool marks left by craftsmen as they began dressing and leveling the rock. Together, these features provide a fascinating insight into the sequence of operations involved in transforming a solid basalt hillside into a rock-cut temple.
Incomplete Facade
The façade of Cave 2 faces east and bears a striking resemblance to the northern entrance of the Main Cave. As seen in the image, the entrance is supported by four square rock-cut pillars and is flanked by two side chambers that remain unfinished. Although the cave was ultimately abandoned, the extent of the excavation demonstrates that a considerable amount of planning and labor had already been invested in the project.
One of the most revealing features of the façade is the contrast between the completed architectural elements and the rough, unworked rock that surrounds them. The pillars have been carefully shaped and finished, while the adjacent chambers and wall surfaces remain only partially excavated. These unfinished sections provide valuable clues to the sequence of excavation and suggest that work progressed in stages before coming to an abrupt halt. As a result, Cave 2 offers a rare opportunity to observe a rock-cut temple in the midst of its creation rather than in its final, completed form.
Unfinished Portico
The image shows part of the unfinished portico of Cave 2. As seen, large sections of the walls and ceiling retain a rough, unworked appearance. Numerous chisel marks are still visible on the rock surfaces, providing a rare glimpse into the techniques employed by ancient craftsmen as they excavated the cave from the living basalt hillside.
The contrast between the carefully shaped pillars and the unfinished wall and ceiling surfaces suggests that excavation and finishing progressed in distinct stages. The artisans first excavated the general layout of the cave before refining the architectural elements and smoothing the surrounding rock surfaces. In completed monuments such as Cave 1, most traces of this process were removed during the final dressing of the stone. In Cave 2, however, these marks remain remarkably well preserved, offering valuable evidence of the methods used to create Elephanta’s rock-cut temples and indicating that work ceased before the cave reached its intended form.
Roughly Excavated Passage
The narrow passage-like opening shown in the image retains an extremely rough and incomplete appearance. In a completed cave temple, such surfaces would normally have been dressed smooth and integrated into a finished architectural space. Here, however, the rough excavation preserves a rare snapshot of a monument in the midst of creation.
Compared to other areas of Cave 2, this appears to be one of the least developed parts of the cave, making its intended purpose difficult to determine. Whether this space was intended to become a subsidiary chamber or whether excavation ceased before its final purpose became apparent remains uncertain.
The contrast between the roughly excavated surfaces visible here and the more regular architectural elements elsewhere in the cave suggests that excavation and finishing progressed in stages. Whatever its original purpose,this passage provides valuable insight into the methods, challenges, and engineering skills involved in transforming a solid mass of basalt into a rock-cut temple. Its abandonment at such an early stage offers another clue to the enduring mystery of why Cave 2 was never completed.
Unfinished Northern Chamber
The image provides another view of the unfinished interior of Cave 2. Large portions of the rock remain only partially excavated, preserving the rough surfaces and tool marks left by the ancient craftsmen. Whether this space was intended to become a subsidiary shrine, a side chamber, or part of a larger architectural scheme remains uncertain. Whatever its intended purpose, the chamber stands as a reminder that Cave 2 was abandoned before its final form could emerge, preserving a unique glimpse into the creation of one of India’s remarkable rock-cut monuments. Unlike the completed spaces of the Main Cave, where the rock was carefully dressed and refined, this area appears to have been abandoned before the final stages of excavation could be carried out.
Rock-Cut Cistern
The image shows the rock-cut cistern located on the northern (right) side of Cave 2, one of two cisterns associated with the cave, the other being located on the opposite side.
Carved directly into the basalt bedrock, the cistern was designed to collect and store rainwater during the monsoon season. The dark chamber visible below the opening serves as the storage reservoir. Rainwater would have been directed into the cistern through channels cut into the surrounding rock, allowing water to accumulate during the monsoon and remain available throughout much of the year.
The cistern serves as a reminder that the builders of Elephanta were concerned not only with architecture and sculpture but also with practical necessities such as the collection and storage of freshwater. On an island surrounded by seawater, a dependable water supply was essential for daily worship, ritual activities, and the needs of priests, workers, and pilgrims.
The presence of two cisterns associated with Cave 2 is particularly significant because the cave itself was never completed. Their construction suggests that considerable planning had already gone into the development of the monument and that it was intended to function as an active temple complex. Even though excavation ultimately ceased, the water-management system demonstrates that the project had progressed well beyond the initial stages of planning.
Similar rock-cut cisterns are found at numerous cave sites across western India, including Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Karla Caves, Bhaja Caves, Kanheri Caves, and Junnar Caves. Their widespread use reflects the sophisticated understanding of hydrology possessed by ancient Indian engineers and highlights the self-sufficient nature of these rock-cut cave complexes.
Why Was the Excavation Abandoned?
The reason why Cave 2 was abandoned before its completion remains one of the enduring mysteries of Elephanta. No inscriptions, dedicatory records, or contemporary historical accounts have been discovered that identify the patron responsible for its commissioning or explain why excavation ceased.
Although scholars generally acknowledge that Cave 2 was left unfinished, few have examined the reasons for its abandonment in detail. As a result, no definitive explanation exists. The unfinished state of the cave has instead given rise to several possible theories, each attempting to explain why a project that had already progressed so far was suddenly brought to a halt. Here are some of the possibilities:
Structural Weaknesses in the Rock
One possible explanation is that the builders encountered weaknesses in the rock during excavation. Certain parts of Cave 2 display irregular surfaces, incomplete excavation, and areas that appear to have been abandoned before they could be fully developed. The damaged condition of portions of the façade also raises the possibility that structural concerns may have emerged during construction.
If Cave 2 was among the earlier excavations at Elephanta, the builders may have discovered that sections of the basalt were less suitable than anticipated for the monument they intended to create. Faced with geological challenges, they may have decided to abandon the project and redirect their efforts to more favorable locations elsewhere on the hillside.
While this theory is plausible, no direct archaeological evidence has yet been found to confirm that geological problems were responsible for the abandonment of the cave. Nevertheless, the unfinished nature of several areas continues to invite speculation that the quality of the rock may have played a role in bringing the project to an end.
Change in Patronage
Given the uncertainty surrounding the builders and patrons of the Elephanta caves, it is possible that a change in political or administrative circumstances brought work on Cave 2 to an end before it could be completed. The excavation of a large rock-cut monument required considerable financial resources, skilled craftsmen, and sustained administrative support over many years. Such projects depended heavily on the continued commitment of powerful patrons, whether rulers, local elites, or religious institutions.
Although no direct evidence supports this theory, the abandonment of major construction projects following changes in patronage is well documented throughout history, making it a plausible explanation for the unfinished state of Cave 2.
Political Upheaval
Political instability may also have contributed to the abandonment of Cave 2. The precise chronology of the Elephanta caves remains uncertain, and the identity of their original patrons continues to be debated. During the period when the caves were excavated, western India witnessed frequent political changes as regional powers competed for control of territory and trade routes.
If such upheavals occurred while Cave 2 was under construction, resources and manpower may have been redirected to more pressing concerns, causing work on the monument to cease. Large-scale projects often depended upon stable political conditions, and even a temporary disruption could have brought excavation to a halt.
Although there is no direct evidence linking a specific political event to the abandonment of Cave 2, the possibility cannot be ruled out. Given the uncertain history of the site, political upheaval remains one of several plausible explanations for why the cave was never completed.
An Unanswered Question
At present, there is insufficient evidence to determine which, if any, of these explanations is correct. One of the greatest obstacles to solving the mystery is that the sequence in which the Elephanta caves were excavated remains uncertain. Without a clear understanding of the chronology of the site, it is difficult to place Cave 2 within the broader development of the complex.
If Cave 2 was among the earliest excavations at Elephanta, geological challenges may have contributed to its abandonment. If, however, it was one of the later caves, changes in patronage, political circumstances, or shifting priorities may provide more plausible explanations.
Until new archaeological evidence comes to light, the reason Cave 2 was never completed must remain a matter of speculation. Yet it is precisely this uncertainty that makes the cave so intriguing. Frozen in an unfinished state for more than a millennium, Cave 2 continues to offer valuable insights into the process of creating a rock-cut temple while preserving one of Elephanta’s most enduring mysteries.
The Value of an Unfinished Monument
Ironically, the very fact that Cave 2 was never completed is what makes it so valuable today.
While the Main Cave reveals the grandeur and artistic achievements of Elephanta at its peak, Cave 2 offers something equally important: a glimpse into the process behind that achievement. Its rough walls, unfinished chambers, visible tool marks, and carefully planned water-management system preserve evidence of the planning, engineering, and labor required to create a rock-cut temple.
Far from being a failed monument, Cave 2 stands as a remarkable record of ancient craftsmanship. It reminds us that the great cave temples of India were not created by a “superhuman agency,” as a sixteenth-century Portuguese visitor famously remarked, but by skilled artisans whose ingenuity and perseverance transformed a solid basalt hillside into enduring works of architecture and art.
Perhaps the greatest mystery of Cave 2 is not why it was abandoned, but how much it still has to teach us about the people who built Elephanta.
More than a visitor’s guide, this article takes a deep dive into the Elephanta Main Cave, revealing the history, architecture, mythology, and engineering behind one of the world’s greatest rock-cut temples and its extraordinary sculptures of Shiva.
Exploring the history, architecture, and extraordinary rock-cut sculptures of Elephanta’s Great Cave (Cave 1).
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the Elephanta Caves are among the finest examples of Indian rock-cut architecture and temple art. Today, the caves are one of the most important historical monuments near Mumbai, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world. Visiting them is a fascinating experience.
Located on a hilly island locally known as Gharapuri, about five miles northeast of Apollo Bunder in Mumbai harbor, the Elephanta cave temples are an impressive work of art carved out of the basalt rock that occurs naturally on the island. The caves are famous for their exquisite carvings depicting various manifestations of Shiva, especially the three-headed Maheshmurti — one of the most iconic masterpieces of Indian rock-cut sculpture.
Elephanta Island gets its name from a giant stone elephant statue that once stood near the island’s shore. When the Portuguese discovered the island, they began calling it “Elephanta,” the Portuguese word for elephant, and the name eventually stuck. During the British period, the statue was moved to Mumbai and is now displayed at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan (formerly known as Victoria Gardens).
Altogether, there are seven rock-cut cave temples on the island—five located on the western side and the remaining two on the eastern side. Unlike the Badami caves, which follow a mantapa-style architectural layout, the Elephanta caves do not strictly adhere to a single architectural plan. Instead, their layout is more flexible, consisting of large pillared halls, subsidiary shrines, and monumental sculptural panels carved directly into the rock-cut walls.
This article focuses on the Main Cave, also known as the Great Cave or Cave 1, the largest and most elaborate of the Elephanta cave temples, dedicated to Shiva. More than a visitor’s guide, it is a comprehensive exploration of the cave’s history, architecture, engineering, mythology, and sculptural program, written for travelers, students, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of one of the world’s greatest rock-cut monuments.
Before exploring the Main Cave itself, it is helpful to understand the historical background that shaped its architecture, sculptures, and religious significance.
The Elephanta Caves Through the Centuries
Because no definitive inscription naming the builders has been found inside the caves or elsewhere, the dating and exact patronage of the Elephanta Caves remain uncertain. Most scholars believe the caves were likely built between the mid-5th and early 7th centuries CE. During this period several dynasties ruled over Elephanta Island, including the Konkan Mauryas, Badami Chalukyas, Trikutakas, Silaharas, and Rashtrakutas, and some of them may have contributed to the construction of the cave temples. Based mainly on the architectural features of the caves and stylistic analysis of the sculptures, most scholars attribute the commissioning of the caves to the local Konkan Mauryas or the Badami Chalukyas.
Because the Elephanta caves are overwhelmingly Shaiva monuments, some scholars have also suggested the Kalachuri dynasty of Mahishmati (central India, roughly 6th century CE) as possible patrons. This theory is based on their strong patronage of Shaivism and stylistic similarities between the Elephanta sculptures and sculptures found at central Indian sites associated with the Kalachuris.
Among the caves, Cave 1 (the Main Cave) is considered the earliest and most important. It was likely excavated first and served as the central temple complex. The other cave temples on the island are smaller and simpler; some are Hindu caves, while others are Buddhist caves, probably created slightly later.
The island came under Portuguese control in 1534, when the Sultan of Gujarat ceded the region to Portugal after the Treaty of Bassein. The Portuguese named the island “Elephanta” after discovering a large stone elephant sculpture near the shore (now preserved at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum).
During the Portuguese period, the caves suffered significant damage. Historical accounts suggest that the Main Cave was used as a cattle shed and storage for fodder. Portuguese soldiers used some of the sculptures for target practice, which explains the damaged faces and limbs seen in many of the carvings today. The caves were not used as temples during this time and gradually fell into disrepair.
In the 17th century, the island came under the control of Shivaji and later Sambhaji, as part of the expanding Maratha Empire. During Maratha rule, the caves were respected as ancient monuments, but there is little evidence of major restoration or the revival of active temple worship. The strategic location of the island in Mumbai harbor meant that it was primarily valued for military and maritime control rather than religious purposes. In 1774, the island passed to the British East India Company, and the caves gradually began attracting the attention of European scholars. Early archaeological interest eventually led to conservation efforts during the British colonial period.
After India gained independence in 1947, the Elephanta Caves came under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is responsible for the preservation and maintenance of many historical monuments across the country. Conservation efforts were undertaken to stabilize the rock structures, protect the sculptures, and manage visitor access to the caves.
In 1987, the caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of their outstanding rock-cut architecture and exquisitely-carved sculptures.
Main Cave: A Magnificent Cave Temple
This post is only about the Main Cave, also known as the Great Cave and Cave 1, and is the largest and most elaborate of the Elephanta cave temples, and is dedicated to Shiva.
Ground plan of the Elephanta Main Cave showing the layout of the Main Hall, central shrine, East and West Wings, courtyards, Nandi platform, and water cistern. Illustration by the author. Not drawn to scale; the relative positions and sizes of architectural elements are approximate.
The image shows the ground plan of the Main Cave complex. As seen, it consists of three principal sections: the Main Hall, the West Wing, and the East Wing. The rock-cut Main Hall has openings on its north, east, and west sides, each leading to a courtyard. Although the East and West Wings form part of the overall cave complex, they are not directly connected to the Main Hall. Instead, each wing is accessed through a courtyard adjoining the main cave.
Visitors enter the cave complex through the northern courtyard, and from here, a paved pathway leads to the northern opening of the Main Hall, the principal entrance to the Main Cave. Situated opposite the western opening of the Main Hall is the West Wing. Visitors reach it by passing through the western opening into the western courtyard and then climbing a short flight of steps. The western side of the complex is enclosed and does not provide an exit from the Main Cave.
The East Wing occupies the eastern side of the complex and is oriented at right angles to the Main Hall. Like the West Wing, it is reached through a separate courtyard and stands on an elevated platform approached by a short flight of steps. Unlike the enclosed western courtyard, the eastern courtyard remains open. Visitors can leave the Main Cave complex through the eastern corridor and ascend a modern flight of steps located on the northern side of the eastern courtyard.
The Main Hall: Architectural Elegance Through Symmetry
The layout of the Main Hall is somewhat irregular in shape, but it is symmetrical along both the east-west and north-south axes, length of each axis measuring 130ft. As mentioned, the Main Hall has three openings. The principal entrance is on the north side, while the other two openings lead to the eastern and western courtyards. These openings not only provide access to the courtyards but also allow natural light and ventilation to reach the interior of the cave.
The cubical inner sanctum (garbhagriha), which houses a Shiva Linga, is situated near the center of the Main Hall. It lies on the north-south axis but is positioned slightly west of the east-west axis. The eastern and western faces of the sanctum are aligned with the corresponding side entrances.
Instead of an opening on the south side of the hall, there is a large recessed area in the wall containing three sculptural panels. The central panel depicts the iconic Maheshmurti (8), while the two flanking panels portray other manifestations of Shiva.
Principal Entrance
As seen in the image below, the northern courtyard lies directly in front of the Main Hall. A short flight of steps leads from the courtyard to the elevated platform of the cave temple.
As mentioned earlier, the northern opening of the Main Hall serves as the principal entrance to the Main Cave comples. The image above shows the northern courtyard and the pathway leading to the cave, together with a front view of the Main Hall. Carved directly into the basalt rock of the hillside, the entrance blends naturally with the surrounding landscape. The entrance façade, measuring approximately 120 ft wide and 40 ft high, is framed by four finely carved pillars—two in the middle and one at each end. These pillars create the impression of supporting the massive rock-cut structure above.
The façade bears a strong resemblance to those of the Badami caves. However, unlike the Badami caves, which typically have a single entrance opening, the Main Hall of has three openings—one on the north side and one each on the east and west sides.
Western and Eastern Entrances
The image on the left shows the western entrance to the Main Hall. Like the principal entrance, it is supported by two central pillars flanked by a pilaster at either end. At the rear, the western wall of the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) is visible, along with its doorway and a large dvarapala (door keeper) standing on the left side. The view of the dvarapala on the right side is blocked by one of the pillars.
The image on the right shows two façades meeting at right angles: the eastern entrance to the Main Hall on the right and the entrance to the East Wing on the left, both sharing a common courtyard. Carved directly out of the basalt rock of the hillside, these pillared entrances appear naturally integrated with the contours of the surrounding cliff.
Interior: Architectural Design at Its Finest
As mentioned, the Main Hall exhibits a remarkable degree of symmetry along both the east-west and north-south axes. It is supported by rows of pillars arranged in a grid-like pattern along these two axes. The spaces between the rows form aisles running along the east-west axis, giving the interior the appearance of a grand pillared hall.
The mantapa measures approximately 130 ft from the northern entrance to the rear wall and about the same distance from the eastern entrance to the western entrance. The height of the hall varies between 15 ft and 17 ft; in other words, neither the floor nor the ceiling is perfectly level.
The hall is divided into six aisles, each roughly 16 ft deep. There is a stepped increase in width through the second and third aisles on the northern side and a corresponding increase through the sixth and fifth aisles on the southern side. Architecturally, these aisles may be grouped into three distinct sections: the Front Hall, the Central Hall, and the Rear Hall.
The third through fifth aisles span the full width of the hall, approximately 130 ft, and together form the rectangular Central Hall (sabhamantapa). The garbhagriha is situated slightly west of the center of this space. This space served as the principal congregational area where devotees gathered for worship and religious ceremonies.
The Front Hall consists of the first and second aisles, while the Rear Hall is formed by the sixth aisle and the large recessed sculptural enclosure carved into the southern wall of the cave.
Front Hall
The first aisle from the northern entrance forms the portico (mukhamantapa) and has the same width as the entrance façade, approximately 54 ft. The southern side of this aisle contains two free-standing pillars aligned with the two central pillars of the northern entrance. The outer pillars are attached to the cave walls, just as they are at the entrance façade. At each end of the portico, between the end pillar of the entrance and the corresponding end pillar on the southern side, is a recessed sculptural panel. The Nataraja Shiva panel (1) is carved into the western recess, while the Mahayogi Shiva panel (2) is carved into the eastern recess.
The second aisle is slightly wider than the first and contains no sculptural panels on its lateral walls. It is supported by two end pillars attached to the cave walls and four free-standing pillars in between.
Central Hall (Sabhamantapa)
The third aisle has no lateral walls and opens directly to the eastern and western entrances. However, at its northwestern and northeastern corners, sculptural panels are carved into recessed bays. The Andhakasura-Vadha panel (3) is on the western side of the aisle, whereas the Ravananugraha panel (4) is on the eastern side.
The third, fourth, and fifth aisles are interrupted on the western side by the inner sanctum (garbhagriha). Because of this interruption, the third aisle contains four free-standing pillars on both the northern and southern sides of the sanctum. Captured from the eastern entrance, the image below shows part of the mantapa and the rows of pillars belonging to these aisles. At the far end of the hall stands the inner sanctum housing the Shiva Linga.
As mentioned, the fifth aisle mirrors the third aisle and contains two sculptural panels carved into recesses at either end of the southern wall. The Kalyanasundara Murti panel (5) is on the western side, whereas the Shiva-Parvati panel (6) is on the eastern side.
Rear Hall
Beyond this lies the sixth aisle, which mirrors the second aisle. Like the second aisle, it contains no sculptural panels on its side walls and is supported by two end pillars attached to the cave walls and four free-standing pillars in between.
Adjoining the southern side of the sixth aisle is a large recessed enclosure carved into the rear wall of the cave. Although this space mirrors the portico in its overall arrangement, it differs in one important respect: there is no opening on the southern side. Instead, its southern wall contains three sculptural panels carved side by side into deep recesses. At the center is the iconic Maheshmurti (7), flanked by Gangadhara Shiva (8) on the east and Ardhanarishvara (9) on the west.
Pillars and Architectural Features
As seen in the image, each pillar appears to have been designed with aesthetics in mind. Although no two pillars are exactly alike, most follow a similar overall design. Each free-standing pillar consists of a square base surmounted by a vase-like circular element. Above this rises a cushion-shaped capital, one of the most distinctive features of Elephanta’s architectural style.
Adding to the beauty of the pillars is the fluting—narrow vertical grooves carved into the surfaces of both the vase-like element and the capital. Small sculpted figures are carved at the corners of the upper portion of the base, although many have been damaged or weathered over the centuries.
Massive stone beams connect the capitals of the pillars and run primarily along the east-west axis, helping to define the aisles of the hall. The spaces between these beams form ceiling panels that are believed to have once been decorated with painted murals, traces of which have long since disappeared. The pillars of Elephanta Cave 1 bear a strong resemblance to those of the Ellora caves, particularly Cave 29, and differ noticeably from the pillars found in the Badami caves. This similarity has often been noted by scholars when discussing the architectural traditions of western Indian rock-cut monuments.
Paintings and Decorative Finishes
What many visitors fail to realize is that the interior of the Main Cave was once far more colorful and visually striking than it appears today. The bare stone surfaces visible now are only a shadow of the monument’s original appearance.
Over the centuries, the combined effects of weathering, vandalism, and neglect have erased most traces of the decorative finishes that once adorned the cave. Evidence from Portuguese and later British-period visitors indicates that parts of the interior were painted and coated with decorative materials. Contemporary accounts mention painted ceilings, coated pillars, and sculptural panels whose figures were embellished with color.
Today, only faint traces of these embellishments survive. Yet these historical descriptions allow us to imagine the splendor and grandeur of the temple during its heyday—a sacred space whose towering pillars, monumental sculptures, and painted surfaces would have created a far more vibrant and awe-inspiring experience than the weathered stone interior seen today.
The Sarvatobhadra Shrine: A Four-Doored Inner Sanctum
Situated slightly west of the center of the Central Hall, the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) is a cubical enclosure with a stone Shiva Linga installed at its center.
It is a Sarvatobhadra shrine (Sanskrit: sarvatobhadra), meaning “auspicious on all sides.” Square in plan, it has entrances on all four cardinal directions, allowing devotees to perform pradakshina (circumambulation) and approach the shrine from any direction for worship.
The floor of the garbhagriha is approximately 3.5 ft higher than that of the central hall and can be reached from all four sides by short flights of steps. Each entrance is flanked by large dvarapalas (door keepers), symbolizing the constant protection of the sacred space and the Shiva Linga within.
There are eight dvarapalas in total, each standing approximately 15 ft high, meaning that the sculptures occupy nearly the full height of the mantapa. The sculptors did a remarkable job of making these guardian figures appear both awe-inspiring and dignified. Their imposing size conveys strength and authority, while their graceful poses and refined features lend them an air of nobility.
Every dvarapala wears a yajnopavita (sacred thread) and a variety of finely carved jewelry, including necklaces and armlets. Their headgear varies from jatamukuta (matted locks arranged as a crown) to ornate royal crowns. Some are accompanied by dwarf attendants standing beside them.
The doorways themselves are elegantly designed, with multiple recessed frames that enhance their architectural richness and visual depth.
The left image below shows the east-facing entrance to the garbhagriha. As seen, the shrine is approached by a short flight of steps, and the entrance is guarded by towering dvarapalas on either side.
At the center of the garbhagriha stands the Shiva Linga (see the right image), installed on a square pitha (pedestal) measuring approximately 9 ft on each side and about 3 ft high.
As seen in the image, the linga consists of two parts: an upper cylindrical portion, approximately 3 ft high, and a lower square section. The lower section is not fully visible because it is firmly embedded within the pitha. Unlike the surrounding cave architecture, which was carved directly from the living basalt rock, the linga itself does not appear to have been cut from the same stone. Instead, it seems to have been sculpted from a harder, darker stone and then installed within the shrine.
In contrast, the garbhagrihas of mantapa-style cave temples such as those at Badami are typically located at the rear of the hall and usually have only a single entrance. As a result, circumambulation within the sanctum itself is not possible. The four-sided Sarvatobhadra design of the Elephanta shrine is therefore one of the features that distinguishes Cave 1 from the Badami cave temples. A similar arrangement, however, can be seen in Cave 29 at Ellora.
Sculptural Panels: Masterpieces of Indian Temple Art
Known for its architectural brilliance and grandeur, the Main Cave of Elephanta is also renowned for its exquisitely carved sculptural panels, which portray the many facets of Shiva as creator, preserver, and destroyer. Although Shiva is traditionally regarded as the destroyer within the Hindu Trinity, at Elephanta he is presented as the supreme cosmic force who encompasses and transcends all three functions.
The Main Hall of Cave 1 contains nine major sculptural panels arranged in a carefully planned and symmetrical manner. As visitors enter through the northern entrance and pass into the Front Hall, beginning with the portico (mukhamantapa), they are immediately presented with two contrasting manifestations of Shiva. The Nataraja panel (1) in the western recess depicts Shiva performing his vigorous cosmic dance, embodying divine energy and movement. Directly opposite, the Mahayogi panel (2) in the eastern recess portrays Shiva as the supreme ascetic, absorbed in deep meditation. Together, these two panels introduce the visitor to the dual nature of Shiva—dynamic and contemplative, active and transcendent.
The Central Hall (sabhamantapa), formed by the third, fourth, and fifth aisles, opens into entrances on both the east and west sides.
At each corner of this hall is a recess containing a sculptural panel. In the northwestern corner is the Andhakasura-Vadha panel (3), while the northeastern corner contains the Ravananugraha panel (4). In the former, Shiva manifests as the destroyer of evil and slays the demon Andhaka, who, intoxicated by power, tormented the devas (demigods) and the world. In the latter, Shiva humbles Ravana, the mighty king of Lanka. Inflated by pride after his victories, Ravana attempted to demonstrate his strength by lifting and shaking Mount Kailasa, the abode of Shiva. In response, Shiva effortlessly pressed down the mountain with his toe, trapping Ravana beneath it and teaching him a lesson in humility.
The southern side of the central hall is devoted to Shiva’s family. The southwestern corner contains the Kalyanasundara Murti panel (5), depicting the divine wedding of Shiva and Parvati, while the southeastern corner features the Shiva–Parvati panel (6), portraying a more intimate and domestic aspect of their family life. Together, these two sculptures present Shiva not only as the supreme deity but also as a husband and householder, complementing the cosmic and ascetic aspects of his personality depicted elsewhere in the cave.
Beyond the Central Hall lies the rear hall with a aisle and a large bay with three adjoining recessed enclosures facing north, each containing a magnificent sculptural panel. Together, these three panels present Shiva as the all-pervasive and supreme deity. At the center is the celebrated Maheshmurti (8), a large three-faced bust of Shiva and one of the greatest masterpieces of Indian rock-cut art. To its right (i.e., east) is the Ardhanarishvara panel (9), which portrays Shiva as a fusion of male and female forms, symbolizing the unity and complementarity of masculine and feminine energies. To its left (i.e., west) is the Gangadhara panel (8), depicting Shiva receiving the celestial river Ganga in his matted locks and gently releasing it to the earth, thereby preserving the world from destruction.
West Wing: A Small but Impressive Rock-Cut Shrine Dedicated to Shiva
The West Wing of the Main Cave is a smaller rock-cut excavation situated parallel to the Main Hall. Unlike the Main Hall, it has only a single entrance facing east and is accessible solely through a courtyard shared with the western side of the Main Hall. Visitors reach the courtyard by descending a flight of steps from the western entrance of the Main Hall and then ascending another short flight of steps to enter the West Wing. Much of this courtyard was itself created by excavating the surrounding basalt rock. Because the courtyard is enclosed on all sides, it does not provide an exit from the cave complex but instead serves as a transitional space between the two excavations.
On the southern side of the courtyard lies a large rock-cut water cistern measuring approximately 66 feet (20 m) long, 55 feet (17 m) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 m) deep. A protective barrier now prevents visitors from approaching the cistern. During archaeological clearance in the 1920s, the accumulated silt was removed, after which the cistern was allowed to refill naturally with water.
The excavation of the silt yielded several important artifacts, including a copper vessel bearing a Sanskrit inscription in the Devanagari script. The inscription records the date (15 April 1086 CE), the place (Sripuri of the goddess Jogeshvari), and the weight of the vessel (194 palas of copper). The vessel most likely fell accidentally into the cistern and is believed to have been used either by a temple priest or by a pilgrim who brought it as an offering.
The excavation also uncovered fragments of stone sculptures and numerous earthenware pots. Many of these recovered artifacts, including the copper vessel, are now preserved in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum) in Mumbai.
The West Wing is itself a shrine dedicated to Shiva. The façade measures approximately 27 feet (8.2 m) wide and 8 feet 11 inches (2.7 m) high, while the interior extends about 13 feet 7 inches (4.1 m) deep. As seen in the accompanying images, the façade is supported by two stone pillars with cushion-shaped capitals, characteristic of the architectural style of the Elephanta Caves. A short flight of steps leads to the elevated platform of the shrine.
At the rear of the shrine is the garbhagriha, which houses a Shiva Linga. The doorway is flanked by two large dvarapalas (door keepers), while a Shiva Linga stands at the center of the sanctum on a square pedestal. The pedestal is set into an altar-like structure hewn directly from the living rock. Like the lingas in the Main Hall and East Wing, the linga and its pedestal appear to have been carved from a separate stone and installed after the excavation of the shrine. Viewed from the doorway, the sanctum is enclosed by thick walls, and two recessed bands frame the entrance, creating a simple yet elegant doorway.
Between the entrance and the inner sanctum is a small hall (mukhamantapa or portico), where devotees would have gathered before entering the sanctum. Carved on the northern wall of this vestibule is the Shiva in Meditation panel (10) depicting Shiva seated on a lotus pedestal in deep meditation. Similar to the Mahayogi Shiva panel (2) in the Main Hall, this relief portrays Shiva as the supreme yogi (ascetic) and is likewise believed to reflect the influence of the Lakulisha tradition.
East Wing: An Exquisite Rock-Cut Shrine Dedicated to Shiva
Unlike the West Wing, which runs parallel to the Main Hall, the East Wing extends perpendicular to it, much like the transept of a church. It is larger, architecturally more elaborate, and contains a richer sculptural program. The East Wing shares a common courtyard with the eastern entrance of the Main Hall. The pillars at its entrance appear smoother and less weathered because they are not original; most were reconstructed during modern conservation and restoration work.
Unlike the relatively plain adhiṣṭhāna (temple base) of the Main Hall, the East Wing rests on a more elaborate four-tiered base. The lowest level consists of a thin moulded plinth featuring a chandrashila, a decorative semicircular threshold stone, at its center. Above it is a narrow terrace reached by a single step. The third level, set slightly higher than the second, is approached by a gracefully designed flight of steps. The fourth and uppermost level forms the platform of the shrine itself and stands one step above the third level.
In the courtyard stands a circular stone platform measuring approximately 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter and about 2 inches (5 cm) high. This platform once supported a statue of Nandi, Shiva’s sacred bull and vahana (vehicle). As in most Shiva temples, Nandi would have faced the sanctum, symbolizing unwavering devotion and eternal vigilance toward Shiva.
Unlike the enclosed courtyard of the West Wing, the East Wing courtyard is open on its northern side, where a flight of steps leads out of the cave. Today, most visitors exit the Main Cave through this passage after completing their tour of the East Wing.
Like the Main Hall and the West Wing, the East Wing is dedicated to Shiva and contains a garbhagriha (inner sanctum) housing a Shiva Linga. The sanctum is a square chamber measuring approximately 14 feet by 16 feet (4.3 × 4.9 m) and faces north. Unlike the central shrine of the Main Hall, which has four entrances, the East Wing sanctum is entered through a single doorway. However, like the Main Hall, it is surrounded by a pradakshina patha (circumambulatory path), allowing devotees to walk around the sanctum as part of their ritual worship.
On either side of the sanctum, the circumambulatory passage emerges through openings guarded by large sculptural reliefs of dvarapalas. When viewed from the front, the shrine appears to be protected by two imposing dvarapalas standing on either side of the sanctum doorway, separated by the approximately eight-foot-wide passage used by devotees during pradakshina (circumambulation).
The doorway of the garbhagriha is richly ornamented. Its frame is composed of four recessed bands, each carved in the form of a pilaster set at a different level. The outermost band is decorated with a geometric square-wave pattern, while the inner recessed bands display the refined craftsmanship characteristic of the Elephanta sculptors.
Within the sanctum, the Shiva Linga stands on a square pedestal (pitha) set into an altar-like base carved directly from the living rock. The linga itself, however, is made from a separate stone and appears to have been inserted into the pedestal after the excavation of the shrine.
The Hall of the Ashta Matrikas
On either side of the portico is a rectangular hall supported by two central pillars and pilasters attached to the side walls. The floor of the eastern hall is recessed below the surrounding level, allowing water seeping through the basalt rock to collect there.
The hall on the western side, measuring approximately 25 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 11 feet high, is one of the most important spaces in the East Wing. It is entered from the eastern side through the portico and is enclosed on the remaining three sides by walls, each carved with a large sculptural panel. The northern wall contains the Ganesha panel (11), the western wall is occupied by the magnificent Ashta Matrikas panel (12), and the southern wall depicts Kartikeya (13).
The hall derives its name from the impressive Ashta Matrikas panel, one of the finest sculptural compositions in the East Wing and among the most significant depictions of the Eight Divine Mothers at Elephanta. The relief portrays the eight Matrikas, divine mother goddesses who personify the shaktis (divine energies or powers) of the principal Hindu deities. Together, they are collectively known as the Ashta Matrikas (Eight Divine Mothers). At the right end of the composition are two male figures, generally identified as Ganesha and Virabhadra.
Unfortunately, the relief has suffered extensive weathering and damage over the centuries, making many of the individual figures difficult to recognize with the naked eye. The photographs presented here have therefore been carefully enhanced to reveal details that are otherwise difficult to discern, allowing viewers to better appreciate the remarkable craftsmanship of the original sculpture.
As seen in the panel, each Matrika carries a dhvaja (a staff bearing an identifying emblem). These emblems typically depict the vahana (vehicle) associated with the corresponding male deity whose shakti (divine power) the Matrika embodies. Several of the Matrikas are also shown carrying children, emphasizing their maternal nature as nurturing mother goddesses and divine protectors.
The Matrikas are closely associated with the mythological episode of Andhakasura-Vadha (the slaying of Andhakasura). According to one version of the legend, Shiva enlisted the Matrikas — created by Vishnu — to assist him in his battle against the powerful asura king Andhaka. Their role was to prevent each drop of Andhaka’s blood from falling to the ground, where it would generate another demon, thereby enabling Shiva to defeat him.
The Lasting Legacy
Despite centuries of weathering, vandalism, and natural erosion, the Elephanta Caves remain among the greatest achievements of Indian rock-cut architecture. At the heart of the complex stands the Main Cave, the largest and most elaborate of the island’s cave temples. Its massive pillars, carefully proportioned halls, precisely excavated sanctums, and exquisitely sculpted panels demonstrate not only exceptional artistic achievement but also remarkable engineering mastery.
Carved entirely from a single mass of basalt rock, the monument stands as a testament to the extraordinary skill of its builders, whose ability to create perfectly aligned halls, pillars, shrines, and sculptures continues to inspire admiration more than fourteen centuries later. Its remarkable sculptural program portrays the many facets of Shiva—as creator, preserver, destroyer, ascetic, householder, and supreme deity—while the soaring spaces of the Main Hall and the more intimate shrines of the East and West Wings together form a unified religious and artistic vision.
For today’s visitors, the Main Cave offers far more than an opportunity to admire ancient sculptures. It provides a window into the religious beliefs, mythology, architectural ingenuity, and artistic excellence of early medieval India. Whether viewed through the eyes of a traveler, a student, or a researcher, the monument continues to reveal new insights with every visit, reaffirming its place among India’s most enduring cultural treasures.
The builders of this magnificent masterpiece are long gone, but their enduring legacy lives on in the Main Cave of Elephanta.
References
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Elephanta: A World Heritage Monument. Mumbai Circle, Archaeological Survey of India.
Archaeological Survey of India. Indian Archaeology – A Review. Various issues. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India.
Fergusson, James, and James Burgess. The Cave Temples of India. London: W. H. Allen & Co., 1880.
Michell, George. The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India, Volume 1: Buddhist, Jain, Hindu. London: Penguin Books, 1989.
Spink, Walter M. The Great Cave at Elephanta. Bombay: D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co.
Carved into the red sandstone cliffs overlooking Agastya Lake, the cave temples of Badami are masterpieces of Early Chalukya temple art. Built between the 6th and 8th centuries CE, these rock-cut shrines feature intricate sculptures and elegant mantapa-style architecture. Together, they represent one of the finest examples of early Hindu and Jain cave temples in India.
Carved out of a red sandstone hill overlooking the beautiful Agastya Lake, the four cave temples of Badami are great works of religious art and a showcase of Chalukya temple architecture. Because of their stunningly beautiful carvings—enhanced by the color and pleasant texture of the red sandstone—they stand out among the cave temples of India. Visiting them is a fascinating experience.
The rock-cut cave temples were constructed by meticulously carving out the stone material from the rock to create beautiful structures, sculptures, and sculptural reliefs. It is mind-boggling how the ancient Indians managed to carve such magnificent temples out of rocks without the aid of sophisticated machinery or tools.
A Bit of History
Built by the Badami Chalukyas between the 6th and 8th century CE, these rock-cut cave temples are the forerunners of the religious monuments built in Southern India. Besides these cave temples, Chalukyas built many freestanding temples in and around Badami. The dynasties that followed continued this tradition, and temple building flourished across the region. Hundreds of beautiful temples, big and small, dedicated to different gods and goddesses, now dot the landscape of Karnataka and the surrounding regions.
Overview of the Cave Complex
Built next to each other and connected via stone staircases, the four cave temples are labeled Cave 1, Cave 2, Cave 3, and Cave 4, based on the sequence of their approach from the main entrance to the temple complex. In other words, you would visit Cave 1 first and Cave 4 last.
The chronological order of their construction is not known because of the lack of inscriptions. Only Cave 3 has inscription detailing its dating. Nevertheless, it is generally believed that they were excavated in the same sequence as their approach.
Mantapa-Style Architecture
Each rock-cut cave temple has a courtyard, with the temple structure elevated above it. The façades of all four temples are rectangular, with a central flight of steps leading to the interior. When viewed from the courtyard, the rectangular façade appears as though it is embedded within a massive rock face. Within this façade, a row of pillars extends from the base to the ceiling of the temple.
All four caves follow the mantapa-style architectural layout, consisting of an inner sanctum and three distinct sections.
The garbhagriha (inner sanctum) is located at the rear of the cave, preceded by three successive pillared halls: the antarala (ante-chamber), the sabhamantapa (main hall), and the mukhamantapa (verandah).
Garbhagriha (Inner Sanctum): The garbhagriha is a small chamber carved into the rock at the rear of the cave. This is where the principal deity of the temple is housed.
Antarala (Ante-chamber): The antarala is a small hall between the garbhagriha and the sabhamantapa. It serves as a transitional space where rituals or offerings may be performed before entering the garbhagriha. A short flight of steps leads from the antarala into the sanctum.
Sabhamantapa (Congregation Hall): The sabhamantapa is a large hall adjoining the antarala, supported by rows of pillars. It serves as a congregation space where devotees gather before proceeding to worship. The hall shares a row of pillars with the antarala on the sanctum side and with the mukhamantapa on the courtyard side.
Mukhamantapa (Verandah or Porch): The mukhamantapa is a narrow hall between the sabhamantapa and the entrance. The squarish pillars on the side facing the courtyard are visible on the cave facade. This hall is often the most ornate part of the cave, with narrative reliefs carved on the lateral walls and ceiling depicting stories related to the temple’s theme.
The Four Cave Temples at a Glance
Each of the four cave temples at Badami is dedicated to a different deity or religious tradition and contains distinctive sculptural reliefs depicting important mythological themes.
Facades of the four cave temples of Badami
The following table provides a quick overview of the caves, their dedications, and their carvings.
Undoubtedly, the Durga Temple at Aihole is an architectural masterpiece and a testament to the ingenuity and engineering skills of the Badami Chalukyas. With its unusual shape and structure, it stands out from the rest of the temples in this area. It could even be mistaken for a Greek or Roman monument because of its curved shape and massive columns that have beautifully-carved corbels at their capitals. It is generally believed that the inspiration for the architecture of the Parliament House in New Delhi came from this temple.
Although it is called Durga Temple, Goddess Durga is not its principal deity. It got its name for an unusual reason. In Kannada, durga means fort. Because the Durga Temple used to be part of a fort complex, people started calling it a temple at the durga, and the name eventually stuck.
Located in Aihole, about 22 miles from Badami and 6 miles from Pattadakal, the Durga Temple was built by the Badami Chalukyas sometime in the 7th or 8th century, although some experts dispute the dating. It is contemporaneous with the rock-cut caves of Badami, and they have a lot in common, especially the carvings. This page describes some of the similarities.
Harmonious blend of architecture styles
Rear view of the Durga Temple
Although architecturally classified as the Gajaprastha style – a subclass under the Dravida style – it is a fusion of many architectural styles, including the northern nagara and southern mantapa. In Kannada, Gajaprastha refers to the back-side of an elephant. The round rear-side of this temple does indeed resemble that. If a temple is curved at the back, then its architecture style is identified as Gajaprastha. However, such temples are rare in Southern India.
As you can see from the image, above the garbhagriha is the shikhara (a.k.a. vimana), a tower-like structure that appears to be of northern nagara-style design. Notice the round ridged object fallen on the ground next to the temple. Known as amalaka, it used to be part of the shikhara placed just below the kalasa (pinnacle).
East side view and entrance to the Durga Temple
Just like the majority of Hindu temples, this temple faces east, but with an unusual entrance. Instead of a single flight of steps facing front, it has two staircases facing sideways (one facing south and the other north) that join at the top. Check the mukhamantapa image.
As you can see from the image, the temple is on an elevated platform with massive stone columns built at the periphery to support the roof.
Mukhamantapa
South side view of the Durga Temple
The two side-staircases join at the center and lead to the mukhamantapa (porch), which is a pillared hall with four pillars inside and several pillars at the periphery. The mukhamantapa design conforms to the Dravida-style architecture.
Richly decorated internal pillars are carved with exquisite stone artwork and sculptural reliefs on all four sides. All the pillars have finely-carved sculptures depicting mostly romantic couples, some of which can be described as mildly erotic, and are known as the mithuna shilpa.
The floor space covered by the four internal pillars is elevated and is accessed through a flight of steps on the east end. Check the front view of the temple. The area covered by the internal pillars forms a small mantapa (hall) within the mukhamantapa. At the other end of this internal mantapa is the Dvārabandha, i.e., the entrance to the sabhamantapa and garbhagriha.
As you can see from the image, massive stone beams connect the internal pillars resulting in two deeply recessed square-shaped blocks on the ceiling. Carved into these blocks are the two beautiful bas-reliefs, Matsya Chakra and Coiled Nagaraja. Attached to the beam separating these blocks are the slightly-curved buttresses. The bottom part of these buttresses are the faces of Makara, a dragon-like mythical creature, projecting out of the capitals of the pillars. The roof above the recessed blocks is at a higher level than the rest of the mukhamantapa.
Matsya Chakra – A beautiful relief representing a cosmic pond
Matsya Chakra (Fish Wheel)
Known as the Matsya Chakra (Fish Wheel), this intricately-carved relief covers a recessed block of the ceiling near the dvārabandha. As you can see, it is a wheel consisting of a hub at the center and 16 spokes of fish enclosed by a rim carved with beautiful patterns of flowers and leaves. The hub of the wheel is a medallion with a lotus flower pattern. The Matsya Chakra relief likely represents the cosmic pond.
This relief was likely inspired by the Matsya Chakra relief found on the mukhamantapa ceiling of Cave -3, the third of the four rock-cut caves of Badami.
Coiled Nagaraja – An exquisitely-carved relief depicting king of serpents.
Coiled Nagaraja
Carved into the other recessed block on the ceiling is another beautiful relief that depicts Nagaraja, the mythical king of serpents. As you can see, Nagaraja has multiple serpent heads, and at the center, there is a human head with the torso that extends into a spiraling serpent body forming a coil.
In this highly-detailed relief, Nagaraja is wearing a beautiful mukuta (headgear) and a variety of jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, bangles, and armbands. He is also wearing the yajnopavita, a looped thread sacred to Hindus worn across the chest from the left shoulder to the waist. He is holding a garland with his right hand and a bowl with his left hand.
This relief was likely inspired by the Coiled Nagaraja carving found on the ceiling of Cave -1, the first of the four rock-cut caves of Badami.
Pillars embellished with erotic art
As you can see, the pillar shown in the left image is ornate with a variety of bas-reliefs. The topmost carving is a mithuna shilpa, i.e., an erotic art form depicting a romantic couple. Below that is a carving depicting a series of male musicians playing different instruments. The frieze below that contains Kirthimuka, a decoration commonly seen in Indian and Southeast Asian temples.
Just above the bottom-most frieze is a Vidyadhara couple carved inside a circular frame. The bottom-most frieze contains a series of male figures, likely wrestlers.
Dvārabandha – An elaborate entrance to the sabhamantapa
Entrance to the sabhamantapa
The facade of the entrance to the sabhamantapa (congregation hall) is ornate with an ensemble of decorations. At the center is the door that opens int to the main hall and leads to the garbhagriha (inner sanctum). Carved into the lintel is a beautiful relief depicting an imposing figure of Garuda, an eagle-like bird used by Vishnu as his vehicle, clasping nāgas (serpents) who have human heads. Surrounding the door frame are the finely-carved pilasters and vertical stone beams. Carved into the beams on the outer edge is a series of beautiful female figures, likely representing apsaras.
The stone pediment above the lintel consists of gods and demigods in the niches separated by geometrical patterns.
Garuda subduing the nagas
Garuda with nagas
This intricately carved relief is on the lintel of the dvārabandha depicts Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda, a mythical eagle-like bird with a human-like body with wings, holding nāgas, who have human heads and serpent bodies. As you can see, there are three nāgas on each side with their tails tightly held by Garuda’s hands. Notice the middle nāga on the left. He has seven serpent heads, indicating that he is the Nagaraja, the king of serpents.
Sabhamantapa and Garbhagriha
The door at the far end of the left image opens into the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) of the Durga Temple. The right image shows the interior of the garbhagriha. As you can see from this image, there is just a pedestal on which the principal idol of the temple once stood. Because this idol is missing, nobody is sure to whom this temple was dedicated. Historians believe that it was likely a Surya or Vishnu temple.
There are eight pillars, four on each side, in the main hall that is in front of the garbhagriha, virtually dividing the hall into a grid of three longitudinal aisles and five transverse sections.
In a typical Dravida-style architecture, the mantapa in front of the garbhagriha has two halls: antarala (ante-chamber) and sabhamantapa (congregation hall). In this temple, the first transverse section in front of the garbhagriha is narrower than the other four. So, it can be considered as the antarala. The rest of the main hall is the sabhamantapa.
An oblong-shaped wall, one side of which is semi-circular, surrounds the garbhagriha and the main hall. The semi-circular part appears like an apsidal structure, and this design resembles a Christian Church (sans transepts). Experts believe that it was influenced by the architecture of Buddhist Chaitra halls.
The surrounding wall was built with large perfectly-fitting stones, some of which were cut with precise curvature. It is amazing how the builders achieved this high level of precision without the aid of sophisticated machinery.
Corridor used as the Pradakshina Patha
The Durga Temple has a covered Pradakshina Patha (clockwise circumambulation path). As you can see from the images, the corridor used for performing the circumambulation has a slightly slanted roof supported by the stone pillars at the periphery. The other side of this corridor is a wall that surrounds the garbhagriha and the mantapa (covered hall) in front of it. The upper half of this wall alternate between dēvakōshtas (niches) and jālandharas (perforated windows). Occupying the dēvakōshtas are beautifully carved sculptures, each depicting a god or goddess. The jālandharas provide light and ventilation into the interior.
Because the Durga Temple is apsidal, the corridor is bent at the far end, which in other words means its rear side covering the garbhagriha is round.
Dēvakōshtas – Niches with finely-carved sculptures
There are six dēvakōshtas built into the inner wall of the corridor. The jālandharas occupy the space between the dēvakōshtas.
As you can see, each sculpture is installed between kudyastambhas (pilasters).
Jālandharas – Beautifully designed perforated windows
The purpose of the jālandharas is to provide ventilation and light into the interior. They also improve the aesthetics when the perforations are cut into the stone to create beautiful patterns.
In the Durga Temple, they are carved with perforations forming a variety of patterns, some of which depict sacred religious symbols and the others aesthetically pleasing patterns. Here is a list of the jālandharas installed in the clock-wise direction:
Jālandhara carved with the swastika and lotus flower patternsJālandhara with rhombus patternsDharmachakra carved in a jālandharaJālandharas in the south side
The jālandhara is a unique element of the Dravida-style architecture and is a common feature in many Chalukya and Hoysala temples.
Kappe Chennigaraya is a smaller temple situated in the south side of the Belur Chennakeshava Temple complex in Karnataka, India. Commissioned by Shantala Devi, the pattada rani (principal queen consort) of King Vishnuvardana, the builder of the main Chennakeshava Temple, the construction of the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple began at the same time as the main temple, i.e., in 1117 CE. She took great interest in this temple and even oversaw its construction.
There is an interesting legend regarding how Kappe, which means frog in Kannada, became a part of this temple’s name. It involves Jakanachari, the legendary architect and sculptor of the Hoysala era. Here is a summary of this legend.
Legend of Jakanachari
Jakanachari was a master sculptor and a genius. He hailed from a village called Kridapura (became Kaidala because of him) in the present-day Tumkur district in Karnataka. Because of marital discord, he left his wife Manjari, and moved to the capital of the Hoysala Empire and worked as a master sculptor for King Vishnuvardana.
Unbeknown to Jakanachari, his son Dakanachari, who was also a talented sculptor, came to Belur and started working for him. As Jakanachari was carving the statue of Chennakeshava for the Chennigaraya Temple, his son discovered a flaw, i.e., a frog was inside the belly of the sculpture. When confronted by his son about this flaw, Jakanachari felt humiliated and challenged him to prove it, and if he was proved right, he would cut off his right hand.
Dakanachari was proved right, and a frog jumped out when they drilled a hole in the sculpture. Jakanachari kept his word and cut off his right hand. He also came to know that Dakanachari was his son.
Legend has it that Vishnu restored his right-hand once he built a temple dedicated to Vishnu in his hometown, which became known as Kaidala. In Kannada, kai means hand. Both Jakanachari and Dakanachari collaborated to carve a new Chennakeshava idol, and it was consecrated by none other than the Pattada Rani Shantala Devi. However, Kappe remained a part of the name even after the defect-free idol was installed in the garbhagriha.
Architecture
While this temple is somewhat similar to the main Chennakeshava Temple architecture-wise, it differs in size and decoration. The Kappe Chennigaraya Temple is smaller and less ornate. It appears like a prototype of the main temple built for experimentation.
Another significant difference between them is the number of garbhagrihas (inner sanctums). Whereas the Chennakeshava Temple is an ekakuta temple (i.e., single garbhagriha temple), the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple is dwikuta, which means it has two garbhagrihas, one in the west and another in the south. Each garbhagriha has an entrance in front of it. The left image below shows the east facing entrance, which is in front of the west garbhagriha, and the right image shows the north facing entrance, which is in front of the south garbhagriha.
North facade of the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple East facade of the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple
Garbhagrihas
Just like the main temple, the Kappe Chennigaraya shrine is dedicated to Vishnu. A life-size statue of Chennakeshava stands in the west garbhagriha, and a life-size statue of Venugopala stands in the south. Note that both Chennakeshava and Venugopala are different forms of Vishnu.
Venugopala standing in the south garbhagriha
The image shows the garbhagriha on the south side of the the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple. As you can see, the garbhagriha is a squarish chamber with the life-size idol of Venugopala standing at the rear wall on a square yoni platform. Portrayed as a divine flute player, Venugopala is a form of Krishna. In Kannanda, Venu means flute, and Gopala means protector of cows.
In Hindu mythology, Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Check the Dashavatara painting on the Hampi Virupaksha Temple Murals for a list and description of the ten avatars of Vishnu.
As you can see from the image, Venugopala is standing with a tribhanga (bent in three places, knee, waist, and neck) pose and playing the flute. There is a similar garbhagriha housing the Chennakeshava idol on the west side of the temple.
The image below shows a narrative sculptural relief depicting Narasimhavatara, the fourth avatar of Vishnu, carved into the lintel of the south garbhagriha door. In this avatar, Vishnu has a man’s torso with a lion’s face and claws. He adopted this form to kill an asura named Hiranyakashipu, who wanted to take revenge on Vishnu for killing his brother Hiranyaksha in his previous avatar, i.e., Varahavatara, the third avatar of Vishnu.
Ugra Narasimha carved into the lintel of the south garbhagriha door
The relief depicts Vishnu with the lion head and human torso having multiple hands with claws. With the body of Hiranyakashipu lying on his lap, Vishnu is seen ripping the entrails of Hiranyakashipu with his claws. On the bottom left is Garuda, Vishnu’s vehicle, kneeling with his hands-folded. Surrounding this relief is a creeper making several circular patterns, each of which contains a small carving.
Navaranga
Lathe-turned pillars
The navaranga is the covered hall in front of a garbhagriha. Navaranga, which means nine sectors, is an essential element of the Hoysala temple architecture. In the navaranga design, the rectangular area is a grid of nine sections created by placing the pillars at the corners of the central section. A stone roof above these pillars covers the entire space.
The central section of the navaranga, known as sabhamantapa, is typically the largest. In Kannada, sabha means gathering, and mantapa means hall/pavilion. Thus, a sabhamantapa is like a community hall where people congregate.
As you can see from the image, the pillar in the near end is ornate with beautifully carved patterns. Mounted around the pillar and just below its capital are four finely-carved sculptures, popularly known as bracket figures.
Dance Floor in the Kappe Chennigaraya Temple
Many pillars in the navaranga appear to be precisely-cut and polished using sophisticated machinery, such as modern-day lathes. Because of their appearance, these are often called lathe-turned pillars, although nobody is sure how they were built. Lathe-turned pillars are a common feature in many Hoysala temples, including the main Chennakeshava Temple, and basadis (Jain temples).
A beautifully crafted circular stone covers the floor of the sabhmantapa, and was used as a dance floor during the Hoysala period. As you can see from the above image, the dance floor is a perfectly round stone platform, which still maintains its original polish even after thousand years and is a testament to the ingenuity and superior craftsmanship of the Hoysala artisans. There are four pillars at the corners of the dance floor.
Lakshminarayana carved on a section of the ceiling
The image shows a section of the ceiling in the navaranga. As you can see, the ceiling is recessed with a square-shaped niche and is carved with geometrical patterns at different levels of the niche. A sculptural relief depicting Lakshminarayana – a form of Vishnu presented with his consort Lakshmi – is at the center surrounded by finely carved geometrical patterns. Note that Lakshminarayana is a combination of two names, Lakshmi and Narayana. Narayana is another name of Vishnu, and it means one who dwells on the water. In Sanskrit, nara means water and ayana means dwelling. According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu lives on the cosmic ocean.
Located 24 miles east of Mysore in Karnataka, India, the Keshava Temple in Somanthapura is a shining example of Hoysala architecture. Although not as famous or as big as the Belur – Halebidu temples, it is as stunningly beautiful and ornate. Built in 1258 CE, more than 100 years after the Belur – Halebidu temples, it is a testament to the continued patronage of arts, crafts, and temple building by the Hoysala rulers.
As the name suggests, the Somanathapura Keshava Temple is dedicated to Keshava, one of the numerous titles of Krishna, who is also the eighth avatar of Vishnu. An unusual feature of this temple is its three garbhagrihas (sanctum sanctorum). Standing inside each garbhagriha is a beautiful sculpture of Krishna, and towering above it is an ornate shikhara (conical-shaped tower) with a kalasa (inverted pot-like structure) at the top. Because of the three garbhagrihas, it is known as the trikuta temple. Note: With a single garbhagriha, the Belur Chennakeshava Temple is an ekakuta temple, and with two garbhagrihas, the Halebidu Hoysalesvara Temple is a dwikuta temple.
A bit of history
The history of the Somanathapura Temple and details of its construction is well documented in several Hoysala and Vijayanagara inscriptions. The area around the present-day Somanthapura, located on the banks of the Cauvery River, was under the Chola rule before the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana captured it in 1117 CE.
Stele erected inside the Mahadwara (main door) pavilion
According to an inscription (see the stele in the image), Somanatha, a Dandanayaka (military leader) serving under King Narasimha III (1254 – 1291 CE), took the permission from him to build a temple and established an agrahara (see the note below) and named it Vidhyanidhi Prasanna Somanathapura (Treasure of knowledge, Auspicious Somanathapura) for this purpose. Somanatha also allotted grants for the maintenance of the temple.
Note: In ancient India, agrahara is an area allocated for religious purposes by the king or the nobility to provide housing for the people (typically Brahmins) who maintain the temple.
The temple was consecrated in 1258 CE. However, it is not clear when the building of the temple began and ended. It is believed that it took 68 years to complete.
During his expedition to the south in 1311 CE aimed at grabbing precious treasures from the temples and monuments, Malik Kafur – a general under Allaudin Khilji, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate – plundered this temple and left it badly damaged. The temple then underwent significant renovations and modifications in the 15th century during the Vijayanagara period. Later in the 20th century, the erstwhile princely state of Mysore took a keen interest in this temple and renovated it further.
Unlike the Belur – Halebidu temples, it is not an active temple because of the damaged idols in the garbhagrihas. It is now maintained by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).
Temple Complex
Mahadvara – Entrance to the temple complex
The entrance to the temple complex is through the Mahadvara (great door) located on the east side. As you can see from the image, Mahadvara has a doorway with a pavilion on each side. Extending these pavilions is the eastern wall of the prakara (a protective wall enclosing the temple). Erected inside the left pavilion is a stele inscribed with the dates and details of the construction of the temple.
Gallery on the west side of the Somanathapura Keshava Temple
The temple is surrounded by the galleries on the south, west, and north sides. Attached to the galleries are 64 mini shrines, which are empty because the invading armies of Malik Kafur destroyed the sculptures and looted the treasures underneath them.
Entrance
Facade and Entrance of the Somanathapura Keshava Temple
The Keshava Temple is on a star-shaped platform called Jagati, with only one entrance, which is on the east side. The approach to the doorway is through two flights of steps. The first flight of steps is from the floor to the platform, and flanking it are two mini shrines with missing idols. The second flight of steps is from the platform to the doorway.
The facade of the temple is not as ornate as Belur – Helebidu temples because most of the original facade was destroyed during the Malik Kafur attack. As you can see, the replaced elements of the facade are of different color from the rest.
The architecture of the temple is a harmonious blend of the southern Dravida and northern Nagara styles and is known as the Vesara style. The conical-shaped tower, known as shikhara (a.k.a vimana), above each garbhagriha follows the Nagara style design, and the front portion of the temple follows the classic Mantapa style design.
The temple is symmetrical about the east-west axis. In other words, the south-side layout is a mirror image of the north side (and vice-versa).
Exquisite interior
Just like the other Hoysala temples, the mantapa (covered hall) in front of the garbhagrihas conforms to the navaranga design. The navaranga is a 3×3 grid of nine rectangular sections. The middle section of the navaranga is known as the sabhamantapa (community hall). An ante-chamber, known as antarala, separates each garbhagriha from the navaranga. The porch in front of the navaranga is called the mukhamantapa.
Garbhagrihas
As mentioned earlier, the temple has garbhagrihas in three cardinal directions, i.e., south, west, and north. All three garbhagrihas are equal-sized chambers, each with a statue of Krishna in the middle and an ornate doorway in front. The relief on the lintel of each door depicts a mini version of the statue standing in the garbhagriha.
The south in the garbhagriha is dedicated to Venugopala, the west to Keshava, and north to Janardhana. All three are a form of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The south and north garbhagrihas have the original statues, whereas the west garbhagriha has a replica of the original.
The statues in the south and north garbhagrihas are monolithic sculptures carved from Krishna Shilé (black stone), which is available in plenty in Karnataka.
South – VenuGopala
Venugopala – Krishna playing the flute inside the south garbhagriha
Standing inside the south garbhagriha on the star-shaped platform is an exquisitely carved life-size statue of Venugopala, a form of Krishna portrayed as a divine flute player. Venu means flute and Gopala means one who protects of cows.
As you can see from the image, Venugopala is standing gracefully with his legs crossed. He has elegantly bent his well-proportioned body to allow him to raise his hands to position the flute (which is partly broken) perfectly at the mouth level.
Venugopala is elegantly dressed with a beautiful skirt-like dress and is wearing jewelry all over his body. He is wearing bracelets and arm rings on his hands, anklets on his legs, beautiful necklaces around his neck, and an udiyana (waist chain) around his waist. There is a looped thread, known as yajnopavita, hanging across the chest from the left shoulder to the waist. It is a symbol indicating the person wearing it has mastered Vedas and undergone the Upanayana ceremony and is worn by gods and deities.
Venugopala is standing on a star-shaped pedestal. Carved at the center is a relief depicting kneeling Garuda, who is Vishnu’s vehicle. Surrounding him are cows and gopikas (cow herding girls who are associates of Krishna) listening to his music.
West – Keshava
Keshava – Sculpture of Vishnu standing inside the west garbhagriha
Keshava is also another name for Krishna. Kesha means hair, and Keshava is the one who has long uncut hair.
The original statue went missing, most likely after the attack by Malik Kafur. The currently installed statue is a replica built by using the Keshava relief carved on the lintel of the doorway as a reference. As you can see, the quality of the craftsmanship of the statue is inferior compared to the sculptures on the other two garbhagrihas. It also appears to be smaller.
Keshava is a chaturbhuja (i.e., one who has four arms). He holds shanka (conch) and padma (lotus) with his right hands and holds chakra and gada (mace) with his left hands. These are the signature objects that are part of Vishnu’s iconography (Read under Vishnu with Standard Iconography for more info ).
North – Janardhana
Janardhana – Sculpture of Vishnu standing inside the north garbhagriha
The image shows the sculpture depicting Janardhana, a manifestation of Krishna, standing inside the north garbhagriha.
Just like Venugopala and Keshava, Janardhana is also another name for Krishna. Jana means people and ardhana means to worship. Janardhana means the one who is worshiped by the people.
Just like Keshava, Janardhana is chaturbhuja (i.e., one with four arms) and is holding four standard emblems of Vishnu, shanka, padma, gadaa, and chakra. Notice that the order in which Janardhana is holding these objects is different from Keshava.
Like Keshava and Venugopala, Janardhana is wearing a beautiful skirt-like dress and jewelry all over his body. He is wearing bracelets and arm rings on his hands, anklets on his legs, finely carved necklaces and garlands of gems/flowers around his neck, an udiyana (waist chain) around his waist, and a looped thread, known as yajnopavita, hanging across the chest from the left shoulder to the waist.A finely carved crown adorns Janardhana’s head, which has a halo around it. Just like the other two statues, the Kirthimukha monster is at the top.
Notice his torso closely. It appears like the face of a cow (i.e., the nipples look like its eyes, and the belly button looks like its mouth). This is to indicate Janardhana is a gopala, i.e., protector of cows
As in the case most of the sculptures in this temple, there are two female figures at the bottom. Each is holding a lotus bud/ corn cob with on one hand, and a kalasa (pot) with the other.
Ceiling carved with mesmerizing patterns
The ceiling of the navaranga has 16 finely-carved rectangular sections, i.e., the navaranga has nine sectors, and the mukhamantapa (porch) has seven sections. The ceiling within each section – which is enclosed by beams placed on top of pillars – is a finely carved vault cut from a single stone.
The theme of the carvings is different phases of a blooming lotus bud. The lotus bud at is surrounded by a variety of geometrical patterns at different levels.
The images below show the lotus bud is at the center surrounded by several geometrical patterns carved at different levels of the conical shape. The pattern at the outer most level is an octagon.
Lotus bud surrounded by circular patternsLotus bud surrounded by star-like patterns Lotus bud surrounded by an endless knot
Magnificent exterior
Like many other Hoysala temples, the temple stands on a star-shaped stone platform, known as Jagati. The stone exterior wall surrounding the temple is ornate with a repertoire of stunningly beautiful artwork and sculptural reliefs.
Somanathapura Keshava Temple – Southwest Side ViewSomanathapura Keshava Temple – Back ViewSomanathapura Keshava Temple – Northwest Side View
Each garbhagriha is surrounded by a circular outer wall and above the outer wall is a conical-shaped tower with multiple levels of densely carved reliefs. As you can see from the image, the outer wall has three sections:
Base – Six bands of continuously carved friezes
Middle – Sculptural reliefs. It appears as though each sculpture is within a shrine.
Top – Decorative carvings just below the eaves. typically craved like the tower of a shrine
Attached to the outer wall are pillars with sculptural reliefs of gods and goddesses and other deities and do not appear to be carved in any particular order or following any story line.
Because this is a Vishnu temple, the majority of the reliefs are related to Vishnu, including the standard iconography of Vishnu depicting him with four hands, each with his signature objects and some of Vishnu’s ten avatars.
Vishnu with Standard Iconography
Vishnu carved on the outer wall
Vishnu, one of the Trimurti , is the supreme god who preserves the order and maintains harmony in the universe. Vishnu is typically depicted as a man with four arms, each holding one of the following four objects:
Shanka : It is a conch shell named Panchajanya that emerged as a by-product during the Samudra Manthana. It was responsible for the creation of the panchabhootas (five elements), which are: water, fire, earth, and sky. When blown, it produces giant primeval sound.
Chakra: It is a disc-like weapon named Sudarshana (which means a good view). The disc has serrated edges. When fired, it spins and moves with a rapid force to destroy evil and then returns to Vishnu.
Gada: It is a mace named Kaumodaki and represents strength
Padma: It is a sacred lotus flower that represents beauty, purity, and evolution
The order in which Vishnu holds his objects vary. With four hands, there are a total of 24 combinations, and sometimes a combination indicates a particular form of Vishnu.
As you can see from the image, Vishnu is standing on a padma peeta (lotus pedestal) mounted on a base. Engraved into this base is an inscription, written in the Halegannada (Old Kannada) script, which reads as Mallithamma. It is the signature of Ruvari Mallithamma, the most prolific carver of sculptures in the Somanathapura Keshava Temple and many Hoysala temples built in his time.
Ashtabhuja Vishnu (Eight-Armed Vishnu)
Astabhuja (8-armed) Vishnu
As mentioned in the previous section, carvings of Vishnu with standard iconography depict him with four arms, but this relief has eight. Notice that two of them are missing.
Besides his signature objects, shanka (conch), and padma (lotus), Vishnu in this relief is holding a beautifully carved dhanush (bow) and a bāna (arrow) with his left and right hands, respectively. The two missing hands at the bottom likely carried his other signature objects, chakra and gadā.
Notice that Vishnu’s two hands in front do not carry any objects. They do, however, make specific gestures, known as mudras. In Hinduism and Buddhism, each mudra has a name and meaning and symbolizes the state of mind and intentions of the person making it.
As you can see from the image, the palm of one of Vishnu’s right hands is upright and faces outwards. This gesture is known as Abhaya Mudra, which symbolizes fearlessness and reassurance. The palm of one of his left hands faces upwards, with its fingers slightly pointing downwards. This gesture is known as Vara Mudra (a.k.a Varada Mudra), which symbolizes charity and compassion.
As with the other Vishnu sculptures, he is standing on a padma peeta (lotus pedestal) accompanied by two small female figures located at the bottom.
Seated majestically on a cushion formed by Adishesha, a seven-headed mythical serpent, is Maha Vishnu, a form of Vishnu represented as a supreme being. This beautifully carved sculptural relief is mounted on the outer wall surrounding the south garbhagriha.
Maha Vishnu seated on Adisesha
As you can see, Adishesha has created a beautiful throne for Maha Vishnu by stacking up his soft coils to form its cushion and raising his seven-headed hood as its canopy.
It appears that Maha Vishnu is in a relaxed mood, indicated by his pleasant facial expression and informal way of sitting. As you can see, one of his left hands gently rests on the knee of his elevated left leg with its foot placed above the coils, while one of his right hands, which firmly rests on the coils, supports the weight of his body that is leaning slightly to his right.
Adishesha is known by many names, including Shesha, Sheshanaga, and Ananta. Hidden in these names are two interesting mathematical concepts, remainder and infinity. In Sanskrit, shesha means one that remains (i.e., remainder), and ananta means endless (i.e., infinity). In other words, Shesha will prevail even after the end of the universe, and Ananta will exist for eternity.
The sculptural relief on the left depicts Lakshminarayana, a form of Vishnu presented with his consort Lakshmi, and is one of the most beautiful sculptures in the temple. As you can see, Vishnu (as Narayana) is seated leisurely on his throne with his consort Lakshmi on his lap. This relief is mounted on the outer wall of the north garbhagriha.
Lakshminarayana is a combination of two names, Lakshmi and Narayana. Narayana is another name of Vishnu, and it means one who dwells on the water. In Sanskrit, Nara means water and Ayana means dwelling. According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu lives on the cosmic ocean.
As you can see, three of Vishnu’s four arms are missing, and the remaining one holds a gadaa (mace). Lakshmi is holding a kalasha (pot) with her left hand and lotus (top part is broken) with her right hand. Her right leg is gently resting on a lotus cushion, and her other leg is resting on Vishnu’s lap with the half-padmasana pose. Lakshmi’s vehicle, an elephant, is standing next to the lotus cushion. Vishnu’s vehicle, Garuda, is kneeling with the folded hands (namaste gesture) at the left end. Notice that his head is missing.
As per the signature at the bottom of the Lakshminarayana sculpture, Mallithamma is the carver. His attention to detail is striking. For instance, the top part of the lotus cushion is carved with a slight bend to indicate that Lakshmi is resting her leg on it.
The relief on the right is also about Lakshminarayana. In this relief, Garuda, who has a human-like body with a bird-like face, carries a smaller version of Lakshminarayana with his left hand. As you can see, Garuda is dressed elegantly and wearing fine jewelry all over his body. Adorning his head is an intricately carved mukuta (crown).
Dashavatara – Ten Incarnations of Vishnu
According to Hindu mythology, whenever there is a crisis in the universe, Vishnu, the preserver, intervenes to restore order and maintain harmony by manifesting himself in different forms, sometimes human and sometimes anthropomorphic. These manifestations (or incarnations) of Vishnu are known as avatars. The Dashavataras are the ten standard avatars, according to ancient Indian texts, including the Puranas, although there is no complete agreement on the eight and ninth avatars.
The avatars of Vishnu are spread across all four yugas (epoch), which are, Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kalki. Here is the list of all ten avatars:
Matsyavatara – Anthropomorphic – Human body with the fish face. See the image on the left.
Kurmavatara – Anthropomorphic – Human body with the turtle fave. See the image on the right
Varahavatara – Anthropomorphic – Human body with the wild boar face. See the image on the left below
Narasimhavatara – Anthropomorphic – Human body with the lion face and claws. See the image on the right below
Vamanavatara – Human
Parashurama – Human
Rama – Human
Krishna – Human
Buddha Human
Kalki – Human – Kalki is riding a galloping white horse
The avatars of Vishnu are spread across all four yugas (epoch), which are, Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. The first five avatars occurred during the Satya Yuga, the sixth and seventh during the Treta Yuga, and eight and ninth during the Dwapara Yuga. The last avatar hasn’t occurred yet. According to Hindu mythology, the Kalki avatar will appear at the end of Kali Yuga.
The outer wall around the south garbhagriha has the first four avatars of Vishnu shown.
Matsyavatara
Matsyavatara – The first avatar of Vishnu
In this avatar, Vishnu manifests himself into a half-fish half-human
form to save humanity from the Maha Pralaya (Great Flood). According to
the story, Vishnu appeared before King Satyavrata, also known as Manu,
in a half-fish half-human form warning him of a Maha Pralaya that would
occur for seven days and destroy all forms of life. To save them from
from the deluge, he instructed Manu to build a boat to hold all kinds of
life forms. Manu then built a gigantic boat and held pairs of living
creatures and plants and seeds. When the deluge began, Vishnu appeared
again in the half-fish half-human form to help Manu. Using Vasuki as the
rope, he towed the boat safely to the mountains in the north, i.e., Himalayas.
The story of Noah and the great flood in the Bible is strikingly
similar to the Matsyavatara story. Numerous cultures in the world also
tell similar stories.
The iconography of Vishnu in Matsyavatara has two forms: 1. Upper half-human and lower half-fish 2. Fish face and the rest human-like. The iconography of the sculpture shown in the image follows the second form. It portrays him with the face of a fish and the body of an Ashtabhuja (eight-armed) Vishnu. Notice that three of his hands are missing. The two of his remaining hands hold lotus and chakra, his signature objects. The rest hold an akshamala (rosary) and a book. He is wearing an elegant dress and beautiful jewelry. He is adorned with a finely carved mukuta (crown) on his head with a halo behind it.
Kurmavatara
Kurmavatara -The second avatar of Vishnu
In this avatar, Vishnu assumes half-man half-turtle form during the Samudra Manthana (Churning of the Ocean of Milk), which was a collaborative effort by devas (demigods) and asuras (demons) to produce amrita, the nectar of immortality. Using the seven-headed snake called Vasuki as the rope and Mount Mandara as the churning rod, the devas and asuras tugged Vasuki to churn the ocean for thousands of years to produce amrita. Vishnu assumed the form of a turtle and went under Mount Mandara to enable churning.
The image depicts Vishnu with the face of a turtle. The rest of the body is human with four hands, two of which are holding chakra and shanka, his signature objects. The other two are holding an egg-like object known as Hiranyagarbha, or the cosmic golden womb. In Sanskrit, hiranya means golden, and garbha means womb. According to both the Rigveda and Yajurveda, Prajapathi, an deity who eventually became a form of Brahma, was born from this womb. However, they differ in what he created. The Rigveda says the Pajapathi created abstract entities like mana (mind), kama (desire), and tapas (austerity). As per the Yajurveda, he created the sky, earth, seasons, devas, asuras, etc.
Varahavatara and Narsimhavatara
Varahavatara and Narasimhavatara are related. Vishnu slays an evil asura named Hiranyaksha with Varahatara and then kills his brother Hiranyakashipu with Narasimhavatara.
Varahavatara – The third avatar of Vishnu
Narasimhavatara – The fourth avatar of Vishnu
Varahavatara is the third of the ten avatars of Vishnu. Varaha in Sanskrit means wild boar. In this avatar, he assumes the form of a wild boar and rescues Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from an evil demon named Hiranyaksha, who was tormenting her.
In Narasimhavatara, Vishnu has a man’s torso with a lion’s face and claws. Narasimha in Sanskrit mean lion-man. He adopted this body to kill an asura named Hiranyakashipu, who wanted to take revenge on Vishnu for killing his brother Hiranyaksha in his previous avatar, i.e., Varahavatara.
Other incarnations of Vishnu
Mohiniavatara – A female avatar of Vishnu
Danvantari
The incarnations in the two images emerged during the Samudra Manthana.
Dhanvantari is the god of medicine in Hindu mythology. According to the Bhagavad Purana, he is an incarnation of Vishnu, who emerged with a pot of amrita during the Samundra Manthana .
As you can see from the image, he is carrying a kalasha (pot) with his right hand and a bowl with medicines with his left hand. His two missing hands most-likely carried shanka and chakra.
Mohiniavatara is a female avatar of Vishnu and just like Dhanvantari, she also is a by-product of Samudra Manthana (Note: Moha means Infatuation or crush. Mohini means a seductress).
Once the churning produced amrita, asuras cleverly stole all of it. When Vishnu realized that asuras have amrita, he appeared as a young beautiful woman, a femme fatale, who enticed asuras and successfully grabbed amrita back from them and gave it to the devas.
Other gods, goddesses and deities
Brahma and Sarasvati
Brahma, the creator
Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge and learning
In Hindu mythology, Brahma is responsible for the creation and is one of the Trimurti (Hindu Trinity) and the other two being Vishnu and Shiva. He is typically shown with four heads, each facing a cardinal direction, and four hands.
This relief is carved on a pillar on the exterior wall surrounding the south garbagriha. As you can see from the image, Brahma has three heads (the assumption is that the fourth head [facing east] is not visible), and four hands, two on each side, and each carrying an object.
He is carrying a spoon (used for pouring ghee into the yagna pyre) and japamala (prayer beads) with his right hands, a kamandala (water jug) and a book (Vedas) with his left hands.
Although Brahma is the creator in Hindu mythology, he is not worshiped as widely as Vishnu or Shiva. There are very few temples dedicated to Brahma in the world. The Brahma Temple in Prambanan (in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma. The other well-known Brahma Temple is in Pushkar, Rajasthan, India.
Sarasvati is the goddess of knowledge and learning. Sarasvati means one that flows. During the Vedic times, she was the deity represented the Sarasvati River, an ancient river that used to flow in the northwest region (present-day Afganistan and Pakistan) but dried up 3000 years go. Later texts associated her with Brahma and made her his consort.
The relief shown in the image is not the usual representation of Sarasvati. Her standard iconography shows her playing the veena, a sitar-like musical instrument. She is typically shown with two hands and occasionally four, and in this relief, however, she has eight hands (three of which are missing). Instead of the veena, she is holding a talegari (book made of palm leaves) with two of her hands. The talegari indicates that she is the goddess of knowledge and learning.
It appears from Sarasvati’s stance that she is dancing with a traditional Indian dance move. Accompanying her are the two musicians at the bottom (one of them is missing).
Indra and Surya
Indra and Indrani riding Airavata
Surya, the Sun God
The image on the left shows a beautifully carved sculptural relief depicting Indra, the king of Swarga and devas (demigods), seated majestically on his vehicle Airavata, a white elephant, with his wife Indrani (also known as Sachi) seated behind him.
This sculpture is mounted on the outer wall surrounding the southern garbhagriha As you can see from the image, Indra is wielding his signature weapon Vajrayuda (Thunderbolt) with his right hand and holding a lotus bud with his left hand.
The sculptural relief shown on the right depicts Surya, i.e., the Sun, as a god. As you can see from the image, Surya is holding a lotus flower with his right hand. Although the top part is missing, the object in his left hand is also a lotus flower. The lotus flowers are part of the standard iconography of Surya and were used to identify this sculpture. At the bottom of this sculpture are his consorts Saranyu and Chhaya, who are twin sisters.
Inspirational Paintings from the Vijayanagara Period
Dedicated to Lord Virupaksha, a local name for Shiva, the Virupakasha Temple is one of the main attractions of Hampi and has been an active temple for hundreds of years. An amazing feature of this temple is the murals painted on the ceiling of the Ranga Mantapa, the main hall in front of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum).
The murals were painted more than 500 years ago at the height of the Vijayanagara Empire. Inspired by the folklore, ancient Indian texts and epics, and Kannada literature, such as Girija Kalyana by Harihara, these beautiful and expressive paintings reflect the traditions and the culture of that era. With the passage of time, the murals have faded considerably. However, some of them have been restored in recent years.
There are three distinct sections in this mural: 1. West section 2. Middle Section 3. East Section. The Virupaksha Temple is an east-facing temple, so note that the west section is near the garbhagriha and the east section is near the entrance.
The main focus of the paintings on the west section is Shiva and the celebration of his marriage to Parvati. The middle section has a beautiful lotus flower medallion carved at the center, flanked by two narrative paintings depicting stories about Shiva. The east section is about Vishnu, his avatars, and related scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.
West Section
Painted on the topmost panel of the eastern section are the Trimurti, Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, each with their consorts.
Vishnu
Shiva
Brahma
The theme of the rest of the eastern section is Girija Kalyana, the celebration of the Shiva and Parvati wedding, and is based on the epic poem authored by Harihara, an ancient Kannada poet known for his devotion to Shiva.
Girija Kalyana – Pompous wedding of Shiva and Parvati
The image below depicts the scenes at the wedding of Shiva and Parvati. Attending the wedding are the pantheon of Hindu gods, including Brahma and Shiva (the other two gods from the Hindu Trinity), Ashta Dikpalas (guardians of the eight directions), rishis (sages), devas (demigods), celestial beings such as gandharvas, yakshas, and kimpurushas (mythical creatures with the human bodies and horse or lion heads).
Girija Kalyana – Wedding of Shiva and Parvati
The rectangular frames on the topmost panel show kinnara’s on the left and right extremes, and palaces with onlookers in the middle.
The second panel from the top depicts the actual wedding ceremony. At the center is Shiva trying to hold Parvati’s hands. Standing behind Shiva is Brahma, shown with four heads, and behind Brahma is Vishnu, shown with four hands, and his wife Lakshmi, who is carrying a veena.
Behind Vishnu and Lakshmi is Narada, the matchmaker of the Shiva-Parvati alliance, and the horse-faced figure standing next to Narada is Tumburu, a gandharva considered as the best musician among the gandharvas. Notice that both Narada and Tumburu are carrying musical instruments on their shoulders.
Standing behind Parvati are her parents – Himavata and Mena – and female attendants. The figures on the last frame with the lion, horse, and elephant heads represent the mythical creatures from the forests.
The topmost panel shows kinnaras who have human heads with the bodies of birds. The panel below the wedding panel shows the ordinary people celebrating the wedding and playing music with drums and tuttooris, trumpet-like instruments. The panel below depicts Ashta Dikpalas (eight guardians of the directions).
Ashta Dikpalas – Guardians of the eight directions
Painted on each of the eight frames is a dikpala (guardian of a direction).
Ashta Dikpalas
Here is the list from left to right:
1. Ishana – Guardian of Eshanya (Northeast), riding Vrishaba (a bull) 2. Nirrti – Guardian of Nairutya (Southwest), riding a horse and carrying a sword 3. Vayu – Guardian of Vayuvya (Northwest), riding a gazelle 4. Varuna – Guardian of Paschima (West), riding Makara (a crocodile-like mythical creature) 5. Kubera – Guardian of Uttara (North), riding Nara (a man) and carrying a gada (mace) 6. Yama – Guardian of Dakshina (South), riding a male buffalo 7. Agni – Guardian of Agneya (Southeast), riding a ram 8. Indra – Guardian of Purva (East), riding Airavata (a white elephant) and wielding his signature weapon Vajrayuda (Thunderbolt)
Middle Section
The middle section has a beautiful lotus medallion carved at the center flanked by the following two narrative paintings.
Manmatha Vijaya – Manmatha firing Kamabanas at Shiva.
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
Manmatha Vijaya – Manmatha shooting Kamabanas at Shiva
Manmatha Vijaya – Kama shooting Kamabanas at Shiva
This painting shows a scene based on Shiva Purana where Manmatha (also known as Kama, Kamadeva), the god of love and carnal desire, strikes Shiva with Kamabanas (Kama’s arrows) to arouse passion and desire in meditating Shiva.
Here is the story in brief:
After the death of his wife Sati, a grief-stricken Shiva started meditating, resulting in a great imbalance in the world. Meanwhile, Sati was reborn as Parvati, and the gods wanted Shiva to marry Parvati. To accomplish this goal, Indra, the king of heaven and the devas (demigods), sends Kama to break Shiva’s meditation, and arouse his passion and desire to make him love Parvati.
As you can see from the image, Kama is standing with an elegant pose inside a chariot driven by his vahana (vehicle), a parrot. Standing behind him is his consort Rathi. Seated on a majestic throne with a meditation pose is Shiva. Below him are Agni riding a ram and Parvati waiting for Shiva to open his eyes. As Kama shoots his arrows made of flowers from a sugarcane bow, Shiva opens his eyes with rage for waking him up from his meditation.
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
Tripurantaka – Shiva’s incarnation destroying three aerial cities
This painting depicts Tripurantaka, an incarnation of Shiva. Note: Tripura means three cities. With his incarnation, Shiva destroys three aerial cities, each belonging to a son of Tarakasura. As you can see from the image, Shiva is riding a chariot and pointing an arrow at the three cities (two of them are partly visible on the right side). The faces drawn inside the wheels of the chariot represent the moon and the sun.
Here is the story in brief:
Pleased with the three sons of Tarakasura after they perform tapasu, Brahma presents them with three aerial cities in the sky that revolve around the earth. Brahma assures them that they are indestructible, except when a single arrow pierces through them when they are aligned in a straight line.
When Tarakasura’s sons realize that they are invincible, they start tormenting the devas (demigods) and rishis (sages). The gods, including Vishnu and Brahma, urge Shiva to destroy the evil cities. Shiva agrees and makes plans to teach Tarakasura’s sons a lesson.
Vishwakarma, the god of architecture and crafts, constructs a chariot with Prithvi (Earth) as its body and Surya (Sun) and Chandra (Moon) as its wheels. He creates a bow from Mount Meru with Vasuki as its string. Brahma volunteers to become the charioteer, and Vishnu the arrow. Once the chariot is ready, Shiva waits for the precise moment for the three cities to align into a straight line and shoots an arrow that pierces through the aerial cities and destroys them.
Shiva wipes the ashes from the destroyed cities on his forehead horizontally with his three fingers, and these three lines remain permanently on his forehead from then on. Based on this legend, Shiva’s devotees apply the three horizontal ash lines daily on their foreheads.
East Section
Dashavatara and Rama Sita Wedding painted on the ceiling of the Virupaksha Temple
The theme of the upper part of the east section is Dashavatara (ten avatars of Vishnu). Each avatar is painted in a small frame in chronological order. The Dashavatara frame is flanked by Rathi on the left and Manmatha on the right.
The lower part has three themes: 1. Draupadi Swayamvara on the lower right. Arjuna shoots at the Matsa Yantra (Fish Machine) to win Draupadi’s hand 2. Wedding of Rama and Sita in the middle 3. Sita Swayamvara on the lower left. Rama lifts the bow at the King Janaka’s palace to win Sita’s hand
Dashavatara – Ten Incarnations of Vishnu
The panel shown in the image below has 12 frames. Painted between the two large end frames are the ten standard avatars of Vishnu, which are in the chronological order from left to right.
Dashavatara (Ten Incarnations of Vishnu)
According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu, the preserver, intervenes by manifesting himself in different forms – sometimes human and sometimes anthropomorphic – to restore order and maintain harmony in the universe. These manifestations (or incarnations) of Vishnu are known as avatars. The Dashavataras are the ten standard avatars, according to ancient Indian texts, including the Puranas, although there is no complete agreement on the eight and ninth avatars.
The avatars of Vishnu are spread across all four yugas (epoch), which are, Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kalki. The list below provides a brief explanation of the avatars painted in the image from left to right :
1. Matsyavatara – Human face with the body of a fish 2.Kurmavatara – Human face with the body of a turtle 3. Varahavatara – Human body with the face of a wild boar 4. Narasimhavatara – Human body with the face and claws of a lion 5. Vamanavatara – Vamana is carrying a wooden umbrella. 6. Parashurama – Parashurama is holding an ax, his signature weapon 7. Rama 8. Krishna – Krishna is killing Kaliya, a serpent causing trouble in the Yamuna River 9. Buddha 10. Kalki – Kalki is riding a galloping white horse
The first five avatars occurred during the Satya Yuga, the sixth and seventh during the Treta Yuga, and eight and ninth during the Dwapara Yuga. The last avatar hasn’t occurred yet. According to Hindu mythology, the Kalki avatar will appear at the end of the current Kali Yuga.
The two end frames depict Rathi and Manmatha. Riding a horse on the left end is Rathi, and riding an elephant at the right end is Manmatha, and each is holding a bow and an arrow.
Sita Swayamvara – Rama lifting King Janaka’s bow
Note: Swayamvara is an ancient Indian practice in which girl herself chooses her husband. Swayam means self and vara means groom.
Sita Swayamvara – Rama lifting the bow
According to the story, King Janaka of Videha arranges a swayamvarafor the princes who seek his daughter Janaki’s (Sita’s other name) hand in marriage. The suitor must lift the bow that King Janaka inherited from his ancestors. None of the other suitors, including Rama’s nemesis Ravana, succeed in lifting it.
As you can see from the image, Rama, an avatar Vishnu who was born as a prince of Ayodhya, is lifting the King Janaka’s bow above his head. Standing on the right side are Sita and her parents, Janaka and Maithili, who are anxiously watching Rama as he is lifting the bow.
Draupadi Swayamvara – Arjuna shooting at the fish revolving in the Matsya Yantra
Draupadi Swayamvara – Arjuna shooting at the fish revolving in the Matsya Yantra
This painting depicts a scene from the Draupadi Swayamvara episode narrated in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. According to the story, King Drupada of Panchala arranges a swayamvarafor the princes who seek his daughter Draupadi’s hand in marriage.
As part of this swayamvara, his sons devised a competition where the suitor must shoot a mechanical fish revolving above in the Matsya Yantra (Fish Machine) by looking only at its image in the water pond below.
As you can see from the image, Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, is looking down into the water pond to see the reflection of the mechanical fish revolving above while he is aiming the metallic bow up to shoot that fish. Draupadi, whose hand Arjuna is seeking, is standing on the right, anxiously watching Arjuna.
This page is about Badami, a small town in in northern Karnataka with a glorious past., where the Chalukya Empire was founded 1500 years ago, and remained its capital until 753 CE.
its iconic landmarks, which include four rock-cut cave temples, Agastya Lake, and temples in the surrounding area. This page describes important landmarks of Badami with detailed images captured from vantage points. These include four rock-cut temples, Agastya Lake and temples in the surrounding area.
A Vibrant Town with a Glorious Past
Badami is just another town in northern Karnataka, but with an exception. Here, a glorious chapter in the history of India, Karnataka in particular, was written, when Pulakeshi I, a vassal/feudal lord from nearby Aihole, established the Chalukya Empire about 1500 years ago. It flourished for 200 more years and became the precursor to the other powerful empires, including the Vijayanagara Empire, that ruled the region for another eight hundred years.
When Pulakeshi I saw Badami, he fell in love with its beauty, and at the same time, he recognized its strategic importance because of its location. Badami offers a natural defense against enemy attacks because of the rugged sandstone hills around it. He moved his capital from Aihole to Badami and founded his dynasty by declaring his independence in 540 CE. His lineage became known as the Badami Chalukyas or Early Chalukyas.
Badami remained as their capital until 753 CE when its last ruler Kirtivarman II was overthrown by the Rastrakutas, the feudatory of Badami Chalukyas. The Badami Chalukyas later split into the Eastern and Western Chalukyas and ruled the region until the 12th century.
The Western Chalukyas eventually defeated the Rastrakutas and occupied Badami in the 10th century. They built a few new temples and enhanced the existing temples, especially the Jain temple in Cave 4. Later, the Vijayanagara Empire gained control of Badami. However, Badami never regained its past glory.
Tippu Sultan, the tiger of Mysore, also left his mark in Badami in the 18th century. Enamored by its beauty and the strategic location, he built forts around the existing ruins on the northern and southern sandstone hills. He built granaries and the treasury in the north fort and a watch tower in the south fort.
Chalukyas were benevolent rulers, and under their patronage, religions, arts, and most importantly, the Kannada language flourished. They were responsible for building numerous temples in and around Badami, including the magnificent rock-cut cave temples. The dynasties that came after the Chalukyas continued this trend, and the temple building flourished. As a result, hundreds of beautiful temples, big and small, dedicated to a variety of gods and goddesses, now dot the landscape of Karnataka and the surrounding regions.
Cave Temples of Badami – Masterpieces of Chalukya Temple Art
Carved out of a red sandstone hill overlooking the beautiful Agastya Lake, the four cave temples of Badami are great works of art. Because of their stunningly beautiful carvings – enhanced by the colorfulness and pleasant texture of the red sandstone – they stand out from the rest of the cave temples in India (which include Ajantha-Ellora caves, Karla caves, Elephanta caves, and Barabar caves).
The cave temples were constructed by meticulously carving out the stone material from the rock to create beautiful structures, sculptures, and sculptural reliefs. Visiting these masterpieces of art and architecture is a fascinating experience. It is mind-boggling how ancient Indians were able to create such magnificent structures without the aid of sophisticated machinery or tools.
Built next to each other and connected via stone staircases, the four cave temples are labeled Cave 1, Cave 2, Cave 3, and Cave 4, based on the sequence of their approach. In other words, you would visit Cave 1 first and Cave 4 last.
The chronological order of their construction is not known because of lack of inscriptions. Only Cave 3 has inscription detailing its dating. However, it is generally believed that they were constructed in the same sequence as their approach.
Check these pages for a detailed explanation of these caves:
According to the inscriptions found in the area, Badami was known as Vatapi when it was the capital of the Early Chalukyas. It got its name from the legend of two rakshasa (demon) brothers, Vatapi and Ilvala, who used to live the region and tormented the travelers. Agastya, a powerful rishi (sage) who lived in the Vindhyas, eventually killed them. Badami has an ancient lake in the valley between the sandstone hills, and the inscriptions refer to it as Agastya Tirtha or Agastya Mahasarovara, most likely because of this legend.
Agastya Thirta
Agastya Lake in Badami
Agastya Thirta is an artificial lake sandwiched between the northern and southern red sandstone hills of Badami. Commissioned most-likely by the Early Chalukyas and created by building a dam on its west side. The magnificent Badami caves are located on the southwest side of the lake. This picture was taken from a vantage point near Cave 2 of the Badami Caves.
The red sandstone cliffs located north of the lake are home to ancient temples built mostly by the Early Chalukyas. The temple at the top of the hill is called the Upper Shivalaya, and the small temple at the extreme left is called the Lower Shivalaya. Both the temples are now dedicated to Shiva and built by the Early Chalukyas in the 6th century CE.
If you expand the image, the walls of the fort built by Tippu Sultan are visible. The temple on the dam is the Yellamma Temple (See below), which was built by the Western Chalukyas in the 11th century CE.
Agastya Lake – A view from the north side
The image shows a view of the Agastya Lake from the north side with the dam on the right and the northern red sandstone hills at the far end. If you expand the image, you can see Cave 1 and Cave 4. Cave 2 and Cave 3 are hidden by the rocks.
At the top of the hill, you can see the Badami Fort, built in 543 CE by Pulakeshi I, and a watchtower built by Tippu Sultan. The entrance with steps to the watchtower and the fort is located in an opening in the rocks between Cave 2 and Cave 3.
Bhuthanatha Temple on the Eastern Shore
The image shows a view of the Bhuthanatha Temple on the eastern shores of the Agastya Lake. This picture was taken from Cave 4 of the Badami caves located on the southern red sandstone hills.
Bhuthanatha Temple on the eastern shore
During the monsoon season, the water level reaches up to the temple platform. As you can see from the image, the water has receded, and the near-end of the image shows the dried-up lake bed.
This temple is dedicated to Bhuthanatha, a form of Shiva, and dated to the 8th century CE. The temple underwent modifications in the later when the Western Chalukyas ruled Badami.
Yellamma Temple on the Western Shore
The image shows a view of the Yellamma Temple built on top of the dam on the west side of the Agastya Lake. The picture was taken from Cave 2 of the Badami Caves located on the southern red sandstone hills.
Yellamma Temple on the west side of the Agastya Lake
As the name suggests, the temple is dedicated to Yellamma, a popular
goddess worshiped in parts of Karnataka and Telangana. Yellamma is a
local name for Renuka, the wife of Rishi Jamadagni and the mother of Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. The temple was built by the later Chalukyas in the 11th century CE.
As you can see from the image, the temple has a beautiful shikara (tower) above its garbhagriha (inner sanctum) and a mantapa (hall) in front of it. The architecture of this temple is a fusion of nagara-style of North India with the mantapa-style of South India (i.e., Dravida architecture).
The image shows structures on top of northern red sandstone hills which are north of the Agastya Lake, and opposite of similar sandstone hills on the south side o this lake. The south-side hills home to four magnificent rock-cut cave temples.
Upper Shivalaya, North Fort, and Watch Towers in Badami
At the top is Upper Shivalaya built by the Chalukyas in the 6th century CE. Surrounding Upper Shivalaya is a fort rebuilt by Tippu Sultan. The two structures below the Upper Shivalaya are the watchtowers.
According to the information on the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) plaque, the Upper Shivalaya was originally a Vishnu temple, which became a Shivalaya (a temple for Shiva) in the later years. It has sculptural reliefs related to Vishnu and Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. The idol in the garbhagriha is missing.
Lower Shivalaya
The image shows the remnants of a once magnificent temple, now known as the Lower Shivalaya, located just below the Upper Shivalaya and to the east of the Malegitti Shivalaya.
Lower Shivalaya in Badami
Only the inner sanctum and the tower above it have survived. The idol in the inner sanctum is missing. The temple was originally dedicated to Vatapi Ganapathi and was well known in olden times. Even today, Carnatic musicians invoke the blessings of Vatapi Ganapathi by singing Vatapi Ganapathi Bhajeyam.
Malegitti Shivalaya
The image shows the Malegitti Shivalaya built on the red sandstone cliffs located north of the Agastya Lake.
Malegitti Shivalaya in Badami
According to the information on the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) plaque, the temple is dated to the late 7th century CE and was dedicated to Surya, the sun god. The original idol in the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) is missing. However, there is a relief depicting Surya riding seven horses on the lintel of the garbhagriha door. Check the Surya idol in the Surya shrine in the Hoysalesvara Temple complex in Halebidu.
As you can see from the image, the outer wall contains jālandharas (perforated windows) and devakoshtas (niches), which are unique to the Davida-style architecture. The Durga Temple in Aihole, also built by Badami Chalukyas, has similar architectural elements installed in its inner wall. The richly decorated shikhara (tower) of Malegitti Shivalaya is unique in that it is octagonal.
It is not clear how the temple got its name. In Kannada, mālé means garland and mālegitti means lady garland maker. It became a Shivalaya (a shrine for Shiva) after a Shivalinga was installed in its garbhagriha (inner sanctum) years later.
Carved out of the red sandstone cliffs of Badami, Cave 4 stands as a serene testament to Jain faith, art, and philosophy. Dedicated to Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, this cave temple brings together exquisite sculptures, spiritual symbolism, and architectural elegance, offering visitors a quiet journey into India’s rich Jain heritage.
Cave 4 is one of the four rock-cut cave temples carved into a red sandstone hill near Badami in Karnataka, India. As the name suggests, it is the fourth cave encountered from the main entrance through which visitors enter the cave complex.
Explore the following pages for a detailed explanation of the other three caves:
Cave 4 is the smallest of the four rock-cut caves, historians believe that it was built in the early 7th century CE.
Unlike the other three caves, which are Hindu temples, Cave 4 is a Jain temple and is a testament to the peaceful co-existence of different religions in ancient India.
Layout and Access
Ground Plan of Badami Cave 4
Just like the other three caves, the garbhagriha(inner sanctum) is at the rear of the cave. In front of it are three successive halls: 1. Antarala (ante-chamber) 2. Sabhamantapa (main hall) 3. Mukhamantapa (verandah). The ground plan on the left shows the arrangement of these spaces.
The garbhagrihahouses a sculpture believed to depict Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, seated on a lion throne. Sculptural reliefs of Tirthankaras and the other Jain figures adorn the pillars and sidewalls of the halls.
Today, the only access to this cave is through a flight of steps from Cave 3. However, when the temple was originally built, it could also be approached from the eastern side.
Mahavira: The 24th Tirthankara — Serene and Enlightened
The image shows a sculptural relief of a Tirthankara, most-likely Mahavira, seated majestically on a lion throne carved of the back wall of the garbhagriha.
Sculptural relief of 24th Tirthankara – Mahavira in the Garbhagriha
Mahavira is seated beneath a chaitya vriksha (sacred tree) with the Paryankasana posture — a lotus-like pose with upward-facing palms placed one over the other. A prabhamandala (circle of light or halo) encircles his head, and above it rises a mukkode — three ceremonial umbrellas stacked one above the other. Flanking him are two chamaradharas (male chamara bearers), while above them are two Vidyadhara couples performing pushpadhaare (offering a deluge of flowers).
Note: The word tirtha means a ford — a shallow crossing of a river or stream — and Tirthankara means ford maker. In Jain philosophy, a Tirthankara is an extraordinary being who understood the true meaning of samsara (continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth) and obtained Kevala Jnana (Omniscience). He is a teacher who builds a ford for others (i.e., guides) to follow the path from samsara to moksha (liberation from Samsara).
The Majestic Figure of Adinatha — the First Tirthankara
First Tirthankara – Rishabhanatha (Adinatha)
The image shows a life-size sculptural relief depicting Adinatha (also known as Rishabhanatha), the first of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism, carved into the left sidewall of the antarala. As seen in the image, he is flanked by 12 Tirthankaras on either side.
Adinatha is a Digambara(person with no clothes) and is standing with the Kayotsarga posture — a stance symbolizing the renunciation of bodily movements and comfort. His long locks of hair flow over his shoulders.
Note: One of the distinguishing features of Adinatha’s iconography is the presence of these flowing locks, which help identify his sculptures
Parshvanatha: The Serpent-Crowned Tirthankara
The image shows a life-size sculptural relief of Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism, carved into the interior walls of Cave 4.
23rd Tirthankara – Parshvanatha
Parshvanatha is the successor of Neminatha and the predecessor of Mahavira, the most well-known and final Tirthankara. Historians believe that both Mahavira and Parshvanatha were historical figures.
Born in the holy city of Varanasi, Parshvanatha lived around 877 BCE and attained moksha on Mount Summeta (present-day Madhuban in the state of Jharkhand, India).
In this relief, Parshvanatha is depicted as a Digambara (person with no clothes) with the kayotsarga posture, i.e., meditating while standing. Notice the beautifully carved five-headed naga above his head, one of the distinctive features used to identify Parshvanatha.
Bahubali: The Ascetic Prince
Bahubali
The image shows a life-size sculptural relief depicting Bahubali carved into the interior walls of Cave 4.
Bahubali is one of the 100 sons of Adinatha (Rishabhanatha). Although Bharata, the eldest, was heir to the throne, Bahubali challenged him for sovereignty.
According to Jain tradition, Bahubali defeated his brother in three non-violent games. However, realizing the futility of worldly power, he renounced everything in disgust and lived the life of an ascetic. He is said to have meditated by standing up unclothed for twelve years to attain moksha. Because he was completely motionless, vines grew around his legs and body — a distinctive feature of Bahubali’s standard iconography, which portrays him standing nude with his body encircled by vines.
The Devotion of Jakkave
Jakkave with Mahavira carved near the entrance of Cave 4
The relief shown in the image depicts a pious Jain nun named Jakkave, who is believed to have attained moksha through sallekhana. She is seated beside Mahavira, who is depicted with his standard iconography.
The carving of Jakkave appears on the right sidewall near the entrance to the cave.
Note: Sallekhana is a religious practice in Jainism in which a person gradually renounces food and bodily comforts while rigorously following certain vows to reduce human passions and attain spiritual purification.
Echoes of Jain Heritage
Though the smallest of the four caves, Cave 4 holds profound spiritual and artistic significance. The cave’s layout follows a traditional plan with a sanctum and successive halls, and its walls are adorned with life-size sculptural reliefs of Mahavira, Adinatha, Parshvanatha, and Bahubali, each rich in symbolic meaning. The presence of the Jain nun Jakkave further highlights the depth of devotion represented in the cave. Together, these carvings reflect the philosophical ideals of renunciation, enlightenment, and liberation, offering visitors a serene journey into Jain heritage preserved in stone.
Cave 3 at Badami, the largest and most elaborate of the rock-cut temples, stands as a magnificent tribute to Maha Vishnu and the artistic brilliance of the Early Chalukyas. Completed in 578 CE, the cave combines grand architecture with richly detailed sculptural panels depicting Vishnu’s avatars and legends from the Puranas, offering visitors a remarkable glimpse into early Hindu temple art carved in living rock.
Among the four rock-cut cave temples at Badami, Cave 3 stands out for its exquisite carvings, beautifully enhanced by the natural colors and textures of the stone itself. As its name suggests, it is the third cave encountered from the main entrance of the cave complex.
Dedicated to Maha Vishnu, Cave 3 is the largest of the four caves and showcases elegant mantapa-style architecture. It is also the most elaborate, featuring an extraordinary ensemble of sculptural reliefs depicting Vishnu’s avatars and mythological narratives from the Puranas.
For detailed descriptions of the other three caves, please refer to the following pages:
In Hindu mythology, Maha Vishnu represents a supreme form of Vishnu, one of the Trimurti (the Hindu Trinity), who is responsible for preserving cosmic order and maintaining harmony in the universe. Regarded as the primordial source from whom even the creator Brahma emerges—often described as the “creator of the creator”—Vishnu is revered as Maha Vishnu (Great Vishnu).
Unlike the other three caves, Cave 3 bears an inscription that records its precise date of completion. This inscription states that the cave was completed in 578 CE by Chalukya Mangalesha, the stepbrother of King Kirtivarma I of the Chalukya dynasty. It also records his donation of the village of Lanjisvara (present-day Nandikesvara) to the temple.
As the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, most of its carvings depict Vishnu, his various avatars, and episodes from the Puranas associated with his legends.
Facade and Entrance
Facade and Entrance
Cave 3 stands out from the other three caves due to its larger size and the remarkable precision and finesse of its carvings. In contrast to the other caves, it features a broader façade and a spacious courtyard enclosed by a prakara (protective wall).
As seen in the image, the central staircase provides access to the temple. It leads to a narrow terrace, behind which stand six pillars embellished with beautiful artwork and reliefs.
Elegant Mantapa-Style Architecture
Ground Plan of Cave – 3
Like the other three caves, Cave 3 follows the mantapa-style architecture, consisting of three distinct sections.
1. Mukhamantapa (Verandah or Porch) The mukhamantapais a narrow hall near the entrance, supported six squarish pillars on the side facing the courtyard and four pillars on the side facing the garbhagriha. Its ceiling is ornate with bas-reliefs depicting Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, Varuna, and Yama.
2. Sabhamantapa (Congregation Hall) – The sabhamantapais a large hall flanked by two aisles. The rectangular ceiling panel is divided into nine framed sections, each carved with a bas-relief. The central panel depicts Brahma, while Kartikeya appears in the southern panel, Varuna in the western panel, Indra in the eastern panel, and Kubera in the northern panel.
3. Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) – The garbhagrihais a small chamber carved into the rock at the rear of the cave. The principal deity is now missing; however, according to some scholars, a statue of Maha Vishnu once stood in this sanctum.
Mukamantapa: Porch Embellished with Exquisite Carvings
The mukhamantapa is highly ornate with an ensemble of decorative elements. Its walls feature large narrative sculptural reliefs while the ceiling and eves are adorned with intricately carved bas-reliefs. The pillars display fine workmanship, and traces of murals — though now mostly faded — can still be seen on the eaves.
At either end of the mukhamantapa, along the edge facing the garbhagriha, small extensions project almost at right angles to the sidewalls. In addition, the mukhamantapa sidewalls extend beyond the façade at both ends. As shown in the ground plan, these extensions create three carved walls at each end of the mukhamantapa.
The image below shows the left half of the mukhamantapa, which resembles the royal court (durbar) of a king.
Vishnu seated on Seshanaga
Maha Vishnu is seated majestically on a throne formed by Adishesha, a seven-headed mythical serpent. His vehicle Garuda is on the lower left, while his consort Lakshmi is on the lower right.
Adishesha is known by many names, including Shesha, Sheshanaga, and Ananta. Embedded within these names are the two intriguing mathematical concepts. In Sanskrit, shesha means “that which remains” (i.e., remainder), and ananta means “endless” or “infinite.” Symbolically, Shesha will remain even after the end of the universe, and Ananta will exist for eternity.
The squarish pillars on the left are richly embellished with carvings of beautiful patterns and reliefs depicting figures and stories drawn from ancient Indian texts and Hindu epics. The ceiling also has intricately carved bas-reliefs of Vishnu, Brahma, and Ashta Dikpalas (eight guardians of the directions), including Indra and Yama.
Varahavatara: The Third Avatar of Vishnu
The image shows a large sculptural relief illustrating the story of Varahavatara, carved into the wall perpendicular to the left sidewall of the mukhamantapa.
Sculptural relief depicting the story of Varahavatara
Varahavatara is the third of the ten avatars of Vishnu (dashavatara). In Sanskrit, varaha means “wild boar.” In this avatar, Vishnu assumes the form of a wild boar and rescues Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from an evil demon Hiranyaksha, who was tormenting her. As depicted in the relief, Vishnu as Varaha lifts Bhudevi from the cosmic ocean represented by multi-headed nagas (serpents).
The story of Varahavatara is a popular sculptural theme in both Chalukya and Hoysala temples. The Chennakeshava Temple and the Hoysaleswara Temple feature several finely carved Varahavatara reliefs on their walls. Within the Badami cave complex itself, Cave 2 also has a Varahavatara relief carved into its wall.
A Varahavatara sculpture can be found in one of the devakoshtas of the Durga Temple at Aihole, about 22 miles east of Badami. Also built by the Badami Chalukyas, it is a free-standing temple carved with many sculptures and reliefs that closely resemble those found in the Badami cave temples.
Ashtabhuja (Eight-Armed) Vishnu
This beautiful relief depicting Vishnu with eight arms is carved on the left extension of the facade.
Ashtabhuja (Eight-Armed) Vishnu
The carvings of Vishnu with standard iconography show him with four arms. In this relief, however, he has four additional arms, making a total of eight. This feature indicates that he is indeed Maha Vishnu, to whom Cave 3 is dedicated.
In this finely-carved relief, Vishnu is wearing elaborate jewelry around his neck, arms, wrists and waist, and a tall crown on his head. He stands elegantly with a composed expression.
Each of his eight hands holds an object. Here are his signature objects in four of his hands: 1. Chakra (A disc-like weapon) – right hand, first from the top 2. Gadā (Mace) – right hand, third from the top 3. Padma (Lotus) – missing, left hand, second from the top 4. Shankha (Conch Shell) – left hand, first from the top
The remaining four hands hold the following objects: 1. Dhanush (Bow) – left hand, third from the top 2. Bāna (Arrow) – right hand, second from top 3. Sword (partly broken) – right hand in front 4. Rope – left hand in front
One of the most fascinating reliefs in Cave 3 depicts the Vamanavatara, an important avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas. The sculptural relief shown below, carved into the left sidewall near the entrance of the cave, illustrates this story. Vamanavatara is the fifth of the ten avatars of Vishnu (Dashavatara).
Vamanavatara relief depicting Mahabali, Vamana, and Trivikrama
In Vamanavatara, Vishnu appears in two forms: 1. Vamana, the dwarf brahmin holding a wooden umbrella 2. Trivikrama, the gigantic form of Vishnu taking a giant stride. In this avatar, Vishnu curbs the powers of the asura king Mahabali and relegates him to Patala (Netherworld).
In this relief, Trivikrama is portrayed as Ashtabhuja Vishnu. His additional four hands carry a bow, arrow, sword and a shield. As seen in the image, Trivikrama’s left foot is on Mahabali’s head as he takes a giant stride.
Trivikrama’s raised leg stretches above the site where Mahabali is performing yajnato please Vishnu. Attending him are the brahmins who are holding ritual materials to offer them as sacrifices into the yajna pyre. The Vamana sculpture under Trivikrama’s raised leg is missing, but his umbrella can still be seen.
Note: Yajna is a Hindu religious ceremony performed by priests (brahmins) in front of a ritual fire. It includes a ritual in which sacrificial materials are poured into the fire as priests chant hymns from the sacred texts.
The Story of Vamanavatara
In this avatar, Vishnu takes the form of a diminutive brahmin to punish Mahabali, a benevolent asura (demon) king who harbored the ambition to acquire more power and defeat the devas (demigods). Mahabali was also a grandson of Hiranyakashipu, who was slain by Narasimha (man-lion), a previous avatar of Vishnu.
To fulfill Mahabali’s ambition, his guru Shukracharya advises him to perform yajna – a ritual conducted before a sacred fire – to please Vishnu and acquire more power. Indra, the lord of the heavens and the king of the devas, sees Mahabali as a threat to his position and authority and seeks Vishnu’s help to curb Mahabali’s power and save the devas from defeat.
Vishnu agrees and incarnates himself as Vamana, a dwarf brahmin carrying a wooden umbrella. Vamana goes to the site of the yajnaand asks Mahabali to grant him a piece of land that would cover his three strides. Mahabali considers it as a trivial request, and against the advice of his guru Shukracharya, who senses a trickery, grants his wish.
As soon as Mahabali grants his wish, Vamana, the diminutive brahmin, transforms himself into Trivikrama, an enormous giant. With his long legs, Trivikrama takes his first stride from Bhuloka (Earth) to Swarga (Heaven) and then the second stride from Bhuloka to Patala (Netherworld).
Vishnu then asks Mahabali where he should place his third stride, since the first two had already covered all the realms, Mahabali humbly offers his own head. Vishnu places his foot on Mahabali’s head and pushes him down to Patala.
Once Mahabali is relegated to Patala, Vishnu grants him the immortality as a reward and allows him to return to Earth once every year because he was a benevolent king.
This dramatic moment of Vishnu as Trivikrama taking a giant stride and subduing Mahabali is beautifully captured in the sculptural panel of Cave 3.
Narasimhavatara: The Fourth Avatar of Vishnu
The image below shows a large-size sculptural relief depicting Narasimhavatara, the fourth of the ten avatars of Vishnu (dashavatara), carved into the right sidewall of the mukhamantapa.
Narasimhavatara
The Story of Narasimhavatara
In this avatar, Vishnu has a man’s torso with the lion’s face and claws. He adopted this body to kill an asura named Hiranyakashipu, who wanted to take revenge on Vishnu for killing his brother Hiranyaksha in his previous avatar, i.e., Varahavatara.
To avenge his brother’s death, Hiranyakashipu performs an intense tapasu (austerity and meditation) to please Brahma, hoping to obtain a vara (boon) that would grant him special powers and make him immortal.
Pleased with Hiranyakashipu, rahma appears before him and asks him to state his wish. When Brahma realizes that he wants to become immortal, he refuses his request but allows him to ask for other varas. Hiranyakashipu then cleverly asks Brahma that he must not be killed by either a man or an animal, and that no weapon should be able to kill him.
Brahma accedes to this request and endows him with the vara. With the superpowers he gained from the vara, Hiranyakashipu assumes the godly status and starts tormenting Vishnu’s devotees, including his own son Prahlada.
To end Hiranyakashipu’s tyranny, Vishnu cleverly transforms himself as Narasimha (lion-man) and slays Hiranyakashipu in a gruesome manner by ripping off his entrails with his bare claws.
The story of Narasimhavatara is also a popular theme in both Chalukya and Hoysala temple art. It is depicted, for example, in the Ugra Narasimha relief carved into the outer wall of the Chennakeshava Temple at Belur. The Durga Temple at Aihole also contains a Narasimhavatara sculpture installed in one of its devakoshtas (niches).
Harihara: Vishnu and Shiva as a Single Entity
This large-size sculptural relief depicting Harihara is carved into the perpendicular extension of the sidewall on the right side of the mukhamantapa. Harihara represents the symbolic unification of Vishnu and Shiva, forming a single entity made from half of Vishnu’s and half of Shiva’s features. Because of this fusion, the followers of both the Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions worship him.
Sculptural relief depicting Harihara
As seen in the image, Harihara is carved with Vishnu’s features on the left side and Shiva’s features on the right side. One of the left hands carries a shanka (conch), a signature object of Vishnu, indicating that the left part of Harihara belongs to Vishnu. One of the right hands carries a staff with a serpent, and the right part of his crown has a half-moon, kapala (skull cup), and a serpent, indicating that the right part of Harihara belongs to Shiva.
This is one of the most beautiful sculptural reliefs carved in the Badami cave complex. Enhancing its beauty are the rich red and bluish tones of the sandstone, which highlight the fine details of the carving.
The images below show the bas-reliefs carved into the ceiling of the mukhamantapa.
Vishnu, the Preserver
Vishnu carved into the ceiling of the mukhamantapa
As seen from the image, there are two concentric circular panels enclosed by a square panel. Carved into the innermost circular panel is a relief depicting Vishnu with four arms, one of which carries the Sudarshana Chakra (disc-like weapon) and the other a shankha (conch).
Filling the space between the outer and inner circular panels are the eight circular frames, likely carved with the Ashta Dikpalas (Guardians of the eight directions). Some of them are identifiable, including Indra (riding an elephant), Kubera, Varuna (riding Makara), Agni (riding a ram), and Nirtti (riding a horse).
Covering the space between the outer circular panel and the square panel is beautiful artwork depicting foliage spewed by Makara.
Brahma, the Creator
Brahma carved into the ceiling of the mukhamantapa
Just like the Vishnu relief, this relief also has two concentric circular frames. The inner circular frame depicts Brahma seated majestically on his vehicle Hamsa (a swan). One of his four hands carries a long-handled spoon, and another a japamala(prayer beads).
Between the outer and inner circular frames, there are eight smaller circular frames, each with a relief carved inside.
The relief above Brahma depicts Yama, the god of justice and death, riding a buffalo. The relief below him depicts Varuna, the sea god, riding Makara. To his left is the relief depicting Indra, the king of heaven and the devas (demigods), riding Airavata, an elephant. To his right is the relief depicting Kartikeya, a son of Shiva and the god of war, riding a peacock. The other four circular frames have reliefs of yakshas and vidyadhara couples.
Yama, the God of Justice and Death
Yama carved into the ceiling of the mukhamantapa
The Yama relief is similar to Vishnu and Brahma relief except for the number of circular frames between inner and outer frames. The inner circular frame depicts Yama, the god of justice and death, riding his vehicle, a male buffalo.
Between the outer and inner circular frames, there are four smaller circular frames, each with a relief carved inside.
Garuda on the Eaves
Garuda carved on the eves
The image shows a sculptural relief depicting Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda carved on the eaves of Cave 3. This relief is above the entrance and faces the interior side of the temple. In this sculpture, Garuda, a mythical eagle-like bird, is portrayed with a human body having two wings and the nose resembling a beak. Flying above Garuda’s wings are two vidyadhara couples.
Sabhamantapa: Spacious and Well-designed
Sabhamantapa and mukhamantapa – A view from the garbhagriha
Compared to the other three cave temples, Cave 3 has a spacious and well-designed interior. Check the ground plan to see its layout.
The hall at the near end of the image is the sabhamantapa (congregation hall), and the horizontal aisle at the far end is the mukhamantapa(porch), which overlooks the courtyard. At the center of the outer edge of the mukhamantapa is the entrance to the temple. On the eves above the entrance is the bas-relief of Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda watching the garbhagriha.
If you notice the ceiling, there is a 3 x 3 grid that neatly divides it into nine blocks. This design is called Navaranga, which means nine sectors in Kannada. The architects of Hoysala temples used the concept of Navaranga to design mantapas in front of the garbhagrihas. Read more about the Navaranga in the Belur Chennakeshava Temple – Navaranga page.
Sabhamantapa – Left side viewSabhamantapa – Right side view
The intricately carved bas-reliefs adorn each of the nine blocks, and as you can see, some of them are weathered. Carved into the central block is Brahma, the creator and one of the Trimurti. Carved into the rest of the blocks around are the Ashta Dikpalas (guardians of the eight directions).
In Indian mythology, space has eight directions, four cardinal and four inter-cardinal, each with a dikpala, the god who oversees that direction. Check the Ashta Dikpalas painting on the Hampi Virupaksha Temple Murals for a list and descriptions of all the dikpalas.
The Navaraga truly represents cosmic space as experienced by a human being. The builders of this temple tried to capture this concept in stone.
Garbhagriha: An Ornate Sanctum Without a Deity
Entrance to the garbhagrihaGarbhagriha
As seen in the image on the left, an elegantly carved staircase at the center leads to the garbhagriha, which is set at a higher level than the subhamantapa. The sculptural reliefs carved on either side of the staircase depict the Vishnu’s dwarapalas (a.k.a. dwarapalakas), Jaya and Vijaya. Surrounding the door to the garbhagriha are multiple layers of exquisite artwork on stone.
The garbhagriha is a small chamber carved out of the stone at the rear of the cave temple. As shown in the image on the right, only the pedestal of the principal deity remains. Experts believe that a statue of Maha Vishnu once stood on this pedestal.
The Grandeur of Cave 3
Perched within the red sandstone cliffs of Badami, Cave 3 represents the artistic excellence of the Early Chalukya period. It is the largest and most architecturally advanced of the four rock-cut cave temples. Dedicated to Maha Vishnu and completed in 578 CE, the cave showcases elegant mantapa-style architecture and an extraordinary collection of sculptural reliefs depicting Vishnu’s avatars and mythological narratives from the Puranas. From the majestic image of Maha Vishnu seated on Adishesha to the dynamic reliefs of Varahavatara, Narasimhavatara, Vamanavatara and other divine forms, Cave 3 reflects the devotional spirit of early Hindu temples.
