Pattadakal is an ancient Hindu and Jain temple complex in the northern Karnataka. It is located in the west bank of the Malaprabha river in the Bagalkot district and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History and Location
The temple complex is built between the 7th and 8th Century CE with the monuments of Chalukya Dynasty. Northern and Southern Indian Architectural diversities are blend in the Pattadakal complex. The temples are mainly of Shiva but there we can see legends of Vishnu and Shakthi. The Hindu temples display concepts and stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and also text from Panchatantra.
The Chalukya Dynasty used Pattadakal for their Crowning Ceremonies. It was considered as a holy place. It is located about 165kms southeast of Belgaum and 265kms northeast from Goa. Aihole (Aryapura) and Badami (former Vatapi) are also very near to Pattadakal.
There are ten major temples – nine of them Hindu and one Jain – at Pattadakal. There are various smaller shrines also. The temples are as follows.
- Kadasiddheshwara Temple
- Jambulingeshwara Temple
- Galaganatha Temple
- Chandrashekhara Temple
- Sangameshwara Temple
- Kashi Vishwanatha Temple
- Mallikarjuna Temple
- Virupaksha Temple
- Papanatha Temple
- Jain Narayana Temple
The Monument is a protected site maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
