Aihole is an untroubled village that sits amidst red sandstone hills. on the banks of Malaprabha River. Located in Bagalkot, this place is home to over 125 beautiful temples that majorly belong to the Chalukyan and others. You can find Hindu, Jains, and Buddhist.temples, and most of them date back to 6th to 8th AD. No doubt, monuments here have all the power to take you back in time through its pristine beauty.
Besides this, Aihole was the capital of the mighty Chalukyas Empire before they shifted it to Badami. Earlier, this place was known as “Ayyahole” or Aryapura” and played a major significance in Indian Mythology. Also, known as the “ cradle of Indian temple architecture” because first experiments with temple architecture styles began here in the 6th century.
Indeed, there are inscriptions that tell about the cultural richness and strength of empires that ruled in this period. Above all, structures here speak for themselves and telling us this town was certainly flooded with highly skilled architectures.
Even though Aihole was ruled by many rulers after Chaluyans, it still retains the label of Chalukyan Kingdom due to their great contribution.
You can either stroll on your foot or take a bicycle to get around the town, as places are not far away.
Table of Contents
Durga temple
This is possibly one of the famous temples in Aihole that is built-in authentic Dravidian style. Although this temple is called the Durga temple, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Vishnu. In fact, this is named after the “Durg fort” nearby and not the Deity “Durga Goddess”.
It is a horseshoe-shaped temple that resembles a Buddhist chaitya and has carvings of Ramayana on its walls. However, most of the temples are in ruins.as of now. You can also witness figures of Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Narasimha, and Mahishasuramardini on the temple walls.
Lad Khan Temple
One of the oldest temples in Aihole and it was built by Chalukyas in 5th century AD. There are 2 shrines called Gaudhargudi and Chikkigudi dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is built in Panchayat hall style with 2 sanctums that resemble the royal assembly hall or marriage hall. There are two storeys to this sanctum and the upper one can be reached by a stone ladder. Roofs are decorated with Lord Surya, Vishnu, and Shiva carvings. As you walk in you can notice goddess Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance of the temple.
Last but not the least, this temple is named after an Islam prince who stayed in the temple before British archaeologists took over.
Ravana Phadi Cave Temple
These are rock-cut cave temples that are older than that of Badami caves which were built in 6th century AD. There are 3 entrances to this temple and even this one is dedicated to Lord Shiva. You can see carvings of dancing Shiva(Nataraja) along with Ganesha, Sapta Kanimars, and Mahishasuramardini on walls.
Hucchimalli Temple
Located to the north of the village, Hucchimalli temple was built-in 7th century AD. This temple dedicated to creator destroyer and preserver i.e. Lord Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva respectively. Sculpture of Lord Vishnu sitting on top of a cobra is popular among all others. Not just that, there is a stepwell with is filled with water and has carvings of Lord Subramanya and his attendants. You can also spot carvings of Surya, Garuda, Ganga, and the Yamuna in here.
Huchappayyagudi Temple
You can find this temple on your way to Malaprabha River. Interestingly, the whole temple is carved out of a monolithic rock and it shows us the skills of Chalukyas. Even this temple is desiccated to Shiva and intricacies of Nataraja ( dancing Shiva) can be seen on the ceilings.
Konti Group of Temples
Konti temples can be found in the middle of the bazaar in the village. It is a group of 4 temples and each date back to different dates. Of course, two temples here belong to Ratrakutas dynasties. This temple has an open hall with slopping roofs and carving of Shiva, Brahma, and reverted Vishnu can be noted on ceilings.
Suryanarayana Temple
Suryanarayan temple is built during the 7th century and has 4 pillared inner sanctums. You can see 2 feet long statue of Lord Surya along with his consorts Usha and Sandhya.
Archeological Museum
The museum is under the maintenance of the Indian Archeological department and it was established in 1987. In fact, this place is right behind the famous Durga temple of Aihole. You can see stone sculptures, inscriptions, statues, and antiques that belong to the Chalukyan and era after that.
How To Reach Aihole?
This town is well connected with roads and hence you can get a lot of buses from Bangalore and Bagalkot.
Aihole information:
Distance From Bangalore: 450 Km.
Duration To Visit All Places: 6 to 8 hours.
Entry Fee: Rs 10/ head (Not applicable to all places)
Places To Visit Near Aihole: Badami 35 Km and Pattadakalu 10 Km.
Also, read: Badami Caves
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