Author: Suraj Kumar Manohara

Pattadakal is a group of temples or monuments clustered on a site of  6 acres of land. This architectural beauty lies on the banks of the Malaprabha River in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka were built by Chalukyas. Pattadakal, also known as “Raktapura” in olden days is declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in the year 1987. Mostly you can witness 7th and 8th century Hindu and Jain temples. There are 10 major temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is a blend of south Indian Dravidian style and north Indian (Nagara) style of architecture. Above all, structures here speak for themselves and tell us the Chalukyas were certainly flooded with highly skilled and blessed artisans. Apart from this, there is a  beautiful Jain temple that was built by the Rashtrakutas in the 9th century. The Name, Pattadakal literally means ‘coronation stone’ as it was here that many Chalukyan rulers were crowned. Besides this, this was also an important cultural as well as a creative center to share ideas. Being a Heritage site, the whole place is maintained well by the tourism department of Karnataka. Make sure you hire an authorized guide as there are plenty of inside stories to this architectural marvel. It requires at least half a day to cover all the places here. Pattadakal finds a mention in greek philosopher and geographer Ptolemy’s book as "Petirgal" in his Geography section. Virupaksha temple In Pattadakal Virupaksha temple is one of the most famous as well as the largest temple in Pattadakal. This temple was built by queen Lokamahadevi, to commemorate the victory of Vikramaditya 11 over Pallavas of Kanchi. Virupaksha temple built in the 8th century is inspired by the Kailasanatha temple of Kanchipuram built by Pallavas. It is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and