Chalukyan Odyssey

North Karnataka is home to the ancient splendors established by the Chalukyan kings.  Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole are UNESCO World Heritage sites housing fine examples of Chalukyan architecture. 

Badami has a railway head, around 3kms from the town, which has connectivity to Bangalore.  There is a daily train from Bangalore through Badami which is an overnight journey.  You can take a share auto from the station to the town (Rs 5 per person).  There are decent hotels and guest rooms in Badami – my friends and I decided to stay at Hotel Royal Deluxe, located very near the bus stand.  Air conditioned rooms for the four of us costed Rs 1300 per night.  Non-ac rooms come for Rs 600 for two persons.  The room was nice with three beds and we took an extra mattress for the night. 

We began the day with breakfast at the nearby restaurant – Hotel Banashree and then walked our way through the town to reach the smaller inner lanes.  We enquired directions to the famous Badami cave temples and were provided help as well.  However, we slightly missed our way and did a circumambulation of the Badami fort by mistake.   It was a nice experience though, as we caught glimpses of the red rocky hills to our left.  We walked along the boundary of the fort and decided to jump over a wall that led us to a peak from where we got a magnificent sight of the Badami fort as well as the Bhutanatha group of temples by the side of the Agasthya Theertha tank.  We walked into the fort and reached a small temple for Lord Hanuman.  The fort complex housed many temples which were constructed during the Chalukyan period.  After spending some time enjoying the temple architecture, we walked down the fort steps to reach the archaeological museum situated down at the base of the fort.  Museum was closed since it was a Friday.  We found a vendor selling sugarcane juice and rested nearby to quench our thirst. 
        

Badami was the capital of the early Chalukyas of Badami, who ruled from this place during 6th–8th century AD. The place is known with ancient names Vatapi, Vatapiadhistana and Badavi. Even during the succeeding centuries, right up to the beginning of 19th century, it was an important politically strategic place forming part of the dominions of many later dynasties. 
        
A number of religious and defense structures were built during these periods at Badami. Beautifully excavated rock caves of Bramhanical, Buddhist and Jaina affinity with massive sculptures, structural temples of Dravida vimana type illustrating different stages of experimentations all set around Agasthya Theertha tank within the scenic beauty of sand stone formations, make this place a unique tourist destination.
        

The museum is located at the foothills of the northern hill containing the northern fort and near the famous Pallava Narasimhavarmman’s inscription. It was established in 1979, as a sculpture shed to collect and preserve explored materials, sculptures, inscriptions, architectural members scattered in and around Badami.
        

It was past noon when we walked through the Agasthya Theertha tank to reach the Bhutanatha group of temples.  There was a temple for Lord Shiva and caves having sculptures of Lord Vishnu and his various avatars.   
       

There was a cave of Buddha to the right side of the tank.  The tank was not too clean, however, the local villagers seemed to use the water for their day-to-day activities.
        
Again, walking along the boundary of the tank, we reached the famous Badami cave temples.  These temples display the full range of religious sects which have developed in India. These temples which date back to 600 and 700 A.D. are carved out of sandstone hills. Each has a sanctum, a hall, an open verandah and pillars. What makes these cave temples remarkable, are the large number of exquisite carvings and sculptures. 
        
The town encompasses a number of carved monuments and caves of the Chalukyas that is a blend of Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. There are many beautiful murals as well.  Two of the caves are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple. 
        
Here are some splendid carvings of the Hindu Pantheon. Narasimha (the half-man half Lion avatar of Vishnu), Hari Hara (the composite god who is half-Shiva and half-Vishnu), AnataShayana (Vishnu sitting as well as reclining on the snake Shesh or Ananta). Each cave temple had a mukha mantapa, ardha mantapa and a garbha griha where the main deity is placed.  There were intricate sculptures on the side walls.  There are also some paintings on the ceiling and wonderful bracket figures on the piers. The caves were a treat to any lover of temple architecture.  
        

It was around 2PM when we completed the four caves – we walked down to the town back to Banashree restaurant for lunch.  Post-lunch, we rested for a while in our rooms and left for Banashankari temple – around 5 kms from Badami at around 3 30 PM.  Share autos charge Rs 5 per person to drop you at Banashankari temple.  The temple dedicated to Banashankari amma had lots of devotees who queued up to get a glimpse of the Goddess.  We spent around an hour at the temple and wanted to visit Mahakuta temple – around 8 kms from Banashankari temple.  However, since it was getting late, we decided to get back to Badami for the evening and catch a match of IPL on television.

Next morning, we booked a share auto for Rs 500 that would take us to Pattadakal, Aihole and Mahakuta and then back to Badami.  The hotel manager helped us with this arrangement and told us that it would take 6-7 hrs for the entire trip.  We started at 9AM and reached Pattadakal, around 22kms from Badami.  There are not many modes of transport connecting these small towns.  In fact, we only saw private cars or share autos. 

Pattadakal was a well organized group of monuments housing eight temples of varying architectural styles.  The entrance fee is Rs 10 per person.

Pattadakal represents the high point of an eclectic art which, in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty, achieved a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India. An impressive series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain sanctuary, can be seen there.  Situated between the Malaprabha River to the north, and a minuscule village to the south, 
        
Pattadakal possesses a sort of holy city comprised of an impressive series of eight Hindu temples dedicated to Siva. Somewhat off to the side, towards the village, is the ninth Sivaite sanctuary, the Temple of Papanatha, as well as a Jain temple. In the monumental complex of the central zone are structures whose design was strongly influenced by the architecture of northern India: the temples of Galaganatha and of Kashi Vishveshvara, which are noteworthy for their square-shaped shikharaswith curved edges. They stand along with other temples of a pure Dravidian style - Sangameshvara, built between 696 and 733, and Mallikarjuna, built consecutively from 733-44. Cornices decorate the walls of these temples and the roofs are the complex, storeyed type found in southern architecture.
        

The unexpected and yet harmonious mixture of these styles provided the inspiration for the masterpiece of Chalukya art, the temple of Virupaksha. This Sivaite sanctuary was erected around 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate the victory in 731 of her husband, King Vikramaditya II, over the Pallava and other sovereigns of southern India. 
        

We spent around two hours at Pattadakal.  Some local vendors were selling buttermilk and roti curry.  We tried roti curry to get a taste of the local cuisine.  From there, we left for Aihole.  Aihole was located some 15 kms from Pattadakal and was considered as the school of architecture by the Chalukyan kings.
Known as Aryapura in ancient times, Aihole occupies a unique place in the history of temple architecture in India. It was the site for experimenting with different temple-building styles by the early Chalukyan kings from AD 450 to 750. This experimentation began in Aihole, continued at Badami and finally culminated at Pattadakal.  There are around 120 temples of varying styles and sizes in Aihole.

        

Aihole had many protected monuments – we visited the major ones at the Durg complex and took the services of a guide.  The Durg or Fortress Temple is an extremely photogenic temple and a visitor automatically gravitates towards it. A unique feature of this temple is the curvilinear passage/corridor that runs around the temple.  The guide gave us great glimpses into the unique nature of Chalukyan architecture.  The Durg complex also housed the archaeological museum which provided an informative experience. 
        

The Lad Khan temple, also located in the Durg complex consists of a shrine with two mantapas in front of it. The shrine bears a Shiva lingam. The mukha mantapa in front of the sanctum has a set of 12 carved pillars. The sabhamantapa in front of the mukha mantapa has pillars arranged in such a manner as to form two concentric squares. There are also stone grids on the wall carrying floral designs. The temple is built in a Panchayat hall style, indicating a very early experiment in temple construction. The windows are filled with lattice style which is a north Indian style. The temple was built in late 7th or early 8th century.

Huchimalli (gudi) temple at Aihole, built in the 7th century shows an evolution in the temple plan, as it shows an ardhamantapa or an ante-chamber annexed to the main shrine. Huchimalli Group Of Temples, to the north of the village behind the travelers’ bungalow is this beautiful temple. The sanctum here has a pradakshinapatha and its external walls contain lattices. The sanctum has a northern style rekhanagara tower. It is in this temple the shukanasa or the vestibule was introduced for the first time. A little away in front is another dilapidated temple. Another small temple to the north of Huchimalligudi is assigned to the 11th century.

        
Ravana Phadi cave is one of the oldest rock cut temples in Aihole, is located south east of Hucchimalli temple. This temple dates back to the 6th century, with a rectangular shrine, with two mantapas. There is a Shivalinga in the inner room or sanctum sanctorum. This is a Shaivite cave temple with a sanctum larger than that of the Badami Cave Temples. The sanctum has a vestibule with a triple entrance and has carved pillars. The walls and sides of the temple are covered with large figures including dancing Shiva. We had an austere lunch – Dahi Poha – at a local shop in Aihole and left for Mahakuta.

The Mahakuta group of temples is located in Mahakuta, around 12 kms from Badami. It is an important place of worship for Hindus and the location of a well-known Shaiva monastery. The temples are dated to the 6th or 7th century and were constructed by the early kings of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The dating of the temples is based on the style of architecture which is similar to that of the temples in nearby Aihole and the discovery of two notable inscriptions in the complex: the Mahakuta Pillar inscription dated between 595–602 CE and an inscription of Vinapoti, a concubine of king Vijayaditya, dated between 696–733 CE and written in the Kannada language and script.
        

We reached Mahakuta by 2 30 PM in the afternoon.  Our plan was to take bath in the temple tank which is considered auspicious.  However, the crowd in the temple tank changed our ideas.  We spent time going through the architecture of the group of temples – whose maintenance were left a lot to be desired.  After taking the blessings of Lord Shiva, we left Mahakuta and finally reached back Badami from where we started our architectural sojourn.

Spiritual East of Tamil Nadu

The eastern coast of Tamil Nadu is dotted with a number of spiritual sites representing various religions.  This post reviews a few of these sites.

The first stop over in my trip was Chidambaram.  Chidambaram is a city located on the Chennai-Cuddalore-Karaikal highway.  There are frequent buses connecting Chennai to Chidambaram.  Trains also connect the two places.  I had booked on the Cholan express that left Chennai at 8:20 AM and reached Chidambaram by 1:50 PM.  Chidambaram is known the world over for the Nataraja temple - which is one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalas of Lord Shiva representing space.  Chidambaram is also associated with the legends describing the Cosmic Dance of Lord Shiva and the dance duel between Lord Shiva and Goddess Kaali.

The temple opens in the evening for public by only 4PM. So I decided to have lunch and then found a place to take rest till the evening.  There are a number of boarding facilities on the East Side of the temple.  I presume there must be similar facilities on the other sides as well.  The door of the outer prakaram of the temple opened at 4 PM sharp to allow the queue of devotees lined up to see the temple.  

        

The temple has five prakarams and all the prakarams except the innermost one are open to sky.  The innermost prakaram houses the sanctum sanctorum.  The place where the temple is located is the center point of the world's magnetic equator.  Three of the five Panchaboothasthala temples, those at Kalahasti, Kanchipuram and Chidambaram all stand on a straight line exactly at 79 degree 41 minutesEast longitude - truly an engineering, astrological and geographical wonder. Of the other two temples, Tiruvanaikkaval is located at around 3 degrees to the south and exactly 1 degree to the west of the northern tip of this divine axis, while Tiruvannamalai is around midway (1.5 degree to the south and 0.5 degree to the west).The 9 gateways signify the 9 orifices in the human body.

        

The deity that presides here is Thillai Nataraja. Chidambaram is the birthplace of the sculpture and bronze image representation of Shiva as the cosmic dancer, a Tamilian concept and motif in Chola art that has since become notable as a symbol of Hinduism. The shrine is the only Shiva temple to have its main deity represented in this anthropomorphic form, as the supreme being who performs all cosmic activities.

Two other forms of Shiva are represented close to this in the vimana (inner sanctum) of the temple - as a crystallised lingam - the most common representation of Shiva in temples, and as the aether space classical element, represented with empty space and a garland of fifty one hanging golden vilvam leaves. Shiva is captured in pose as Nataraja performing the Ananda Tandava ("Dance of Delight") in the golden hall of the shrine Pon Ambalam. The sculptures of Chidambaram inspired the postures of Bharatha Natyam.

I entered the temple through the east side and you need to walk in through the two inner prakarams to reach the third prakaram where you need to take walk through the long path to your left and then right and then right near the bronze pillar which is the entrance to the main deity.  The door of the main deity opens only at 4 45 PM in the evening.  In the meanwhile, you can worship the deities in this prakaram - Lord Muruga, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Sivagami, Lord Aadhimoolanathar and Goddess Umaiyammai and shrines for the 63 nayanars of Lord Shiva.

Also in this prakaram is housed the famous Natya Sabhai, a 56-pillared hall where Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja outdanced Kaali and established his supremacy.

        

The Chit Ambalam is the sanctum sanctorum housing Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja and his consort Sivagami Sundari.  Pon Ambalam - the golden hall in front of the Chit Ambalam is where the daily rituals are conducted.  There is a shrine for Govindaraja Perumal in the penultimate prakaram.  This shrine is revered as one of the 108 divya desams of Lord Vishnu.

After worshipping the various shrines, I proceeded to the temple for Goddess Sivagami inside the main temple.  While proceeding towards this shrine, one can observe the huge temple tank Sivaganga.  Also, one reaches a point from which he can see all the four outer gopurams at the same time.  I took the blessings of Goddess Sivagami and walked through the outer prakarams for a while before I decided to leave the temple.  

From Chidambaram, I took a bus to Thirukadaiyur, located 42kms on the Chennai-Nagapattinam highway.  All buses bound for Karaikal go through Thirukadaiyur.  I reached Thirukadaiyur and took accommodation in a hotel there.  

Thirukadaiyur is famous for its Sri Amirtha Kadesvarar Temple, dedicated to the Kalantaka form of the Hindu god Shiva in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the place where Shiva protected Markandeya from Yama (Lord of Death) when he was about to take the boy to hell. 

        

Mrigandu Maharishi, a staunch devotee of Shiva led a simple life of worship and penance. He and his wife Marudhamathi had no children. The couple prayed to Lord Shiva to bless them with a child. Pleased with their prayers Shiva appeared before them and granted them their wish but asked the couple to make a difficult choice. Shiva asked them to choose between a hundred children who would not be virtuous but would live a long life & one son who would be the epitome of virtuousness and have the divine blessing, but would live only till the age of sixteen. The couple chose the latter and thus Markandeya was born to them.

Markandeya was very pleasing in his manners and behaviour, and was liked by one and all.  He was intelligent too. At that young age the boy mastered all the scriptures. His parents were proud of his achievements. However, they suddenly remembered that this boy will live only until the age of sixteen.  This realization worried them. When Markandeya inquired them of the reason, his mother could not hide the truth any longer and informed him of the conditional boon which Shiva had granted. Markandeya was very confident that Shiva would protect him.

He made a Lingam out of the wet sand on the banks of Cauvery and started his penance.  He was determined to continue until Lord Shiva appeared before him granted him the boon of immortality. As Markandeya entered his sixteenth year, Yama came to take back his life.  But Markandeya refused to go along with Yama. Yama threw the noose around Markandeya and since he was hugging the Shivalingam, the noose fell around the Shivalingam also.  An angry Shiva killed Yama.  Markandeya then implored Lord Shiva to bring back Yama to life.  Shiva pleased with Markandeya’s selflessness blessed him to be immortal.

The Shiva Lingam is swayambhu (Self manifested). The mark made by Yama’s noose is seen on this Lingam. Some believe that this Lingam is part of the pot of nectar that came out of the Paarkadal or Celestial Ocean. Devas had not invoked Vinayaka before the churning of the Ocean. An angry Vinayaka wanted to teach them a lesson and stole the pot of nectar from the Devas. Vinayakar is called KallaPillayar here, as he had stolen the pot of Nectar from the Devas.

         

As death was conquered at this holy temple at Thirukadaiyur, Sasthiabdhipoorthi (Completion of sixty years), Bheemaratha Shanthi (Completion of 70 years) and Sadhabishegam (Completion of 80 years) are celebrated here.

The temple has a huge outer prakaram with the shrine for Goddess Abirami to the right as soon as you enter the main temple.  Many groups were having Sasthiabdhipoorthi/Sadhabishegam functions conducted at the temple.  The temple undertakes complete planning for these functions including food and accommodation for a payment. 

From Thirukadaiyur, I took a bus to Karaikal (a distance of 22kms) and from there to Nagore (a distance of 14kms).  Nagore is famous for the Nagore Dargah - a minaret built over the tomb Shahul Hamid, a 13th generation descendant of the renowned sufi saint, Muhiyudin Abd al-Qadir al-Jalani.  The Durgah as it stands now was built by devotees whose wishes were fulfilled by praying Shahul.  The central part of the dargah is the tomb of the saint, Shahul Hamid, approached through seven thresholds(four made of silver and three of gold).There is big tank within the temple and its waters are held sacred.

        

The Dargah is a common place of veneration of devotees of various religious faiths. The practise of offering flowers, sweatmeats and food, the way of conducting worship, and playing of musical instruments are followed in the shrine, which are atypical of Hindu tradition.  Other worship practises are offering flags and lighting lamps of ghee at the saint's tomb. Devotees shave their heads near the tank and offer tin or silver plated fascimiles of body parts, houses, sailboats matching their material needs.  Ladies were not allowed into the main shrine.

        

After spending some time at the dargah, I took a share auto to reach Nagapattinam (a distance of 6kms) and from there to Velankanni(a distance of 12kms).  Once a port that traded with Rome and Greece, the tiny commercial center gradually lost its importance to the larger city of Nagapattinam. The canal built to link this town with Vedaranyam still lies to the west. The Vellayar, a minor branch of the Cauvery River, runs south of the town and discharges into the sea.

        

The town is home to a significant Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to Our lady of Good Health.

The church can be traced to the mid-16th century and its founding is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted by a violent sea storm.

        

The Gothic style of architecture is a unique feature of the church. The church itself is an imposing building with inspiring architecture. While the buildings have been painted white, the roof of the church is made of red tiles, providing a striking contrast to the colour of the walls.  

The shrines were maintained very clean and the town itself had a number of facilities for boarding and lodging.  We spent only an hour at Velankanni, since we were racing against time to catch our train from Mannargudi to Chennai.  Once I got on the bus to Mannargudi, I savoured the visits to these spiritual abodes situated along the east coast of Tamil Nadu.