1. Art and Architecture: The Chalukyas of Badami, have given some noteworthy contributions to the Indian art and architecture. Building of Sthambha, Navaranga, and Sukhanasi along With the Garbhagruha ( Sanctum) were the unique contributions of the Chalukyas in temple architecture.
The Chalukyas developed their own style of architecture known as Vesara or new style or Chalukyan style of architecture, which was a combination of the Nagara style and Dravidian style. They built many temples. The chalukyan art took its birth at Aihole and developed in Badami and Pattadakallu.
The great art critic Percy Brown remarked that Aihole was “The cradle of Indian temple Architecture” and Dr. Shivarama Karanth has commented about Chalukyan ** as the “Golden age of Karnataka Art”.
Important Characteristics of Chalukyan Architecture:
Chalukyas adopted the following features in their constrution of temples. They are :
- Small base design
- Horse shoe base
- Square sanctum (Garbhagruha)
- Inner pradakshanapatha
- Mukhamantapa, Navaranga, Sukhanasi and Pyramidical Tower on the Sanctum
- Ekakuta, (one cell) Dwikuta and Trikuta temples.
The Chalukyan monuments could be broadly classified into two major categories viz.,
Rock – cut (Cave) temples
The structural temples.
1. Rock-cut (cave) temples : Mangalesha and Kirthivarma built the 4 rock-cut temples on the hill at Badami. Two of them are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Shiva and the other is a Jain temple. These are connected to one another by a causeway. These caves contain a varanda with stone pillars, a hall with columns and small deeply cut garbhagrihas.
These temples have gigantic images of Ardhanarishwara, Harihara, Mahishasuramardhini, Vishnu seated on the serpent, Narasimha, Trivikrama and Nataraja.
The Jain cave has the sculptures of Mahaveera and the 23rd Jain Thirthanakara. Probably, the ceillings of the caves had paintings, which have faded away over time. In fact, the Chalukyas were the first to construct rock-cut temples in south India.
Rock-cut temples at Aihole: There are two rock-cut temples at Aihole. One is for Shiva and other is a Jain one. These rock-cut temples have a square mantapa and have a special plan of their own.
2. The structural temples: The Chalukyas have built more than 100 temples. Badami, Aihole, Pattadakallu, Mahakuta, etc, are religious as well as architectural centres of the Badami Chalukyas. The Shiva temple at Gokak, Mahalakshmi temple at Kollapura are examples of early Chalukyan architecture.
The Chalukyan temples, in the beginning, had flat or slightly inclined roof tops. Later, tower-like structural levels appeared. A big prayer hall, sanctum and an intervening room ( Sukanasi) were included in the temple structure.
a. Aihole : Aihole contains over 70 temples. The structural temples of Aihole, represent the best of Chalukyan temple architecture. Thus Percy Brown rightly called Aihole as the cardie of Indian temple architecture.
b. Lankan temple : Among the most important temples, Ladhkhan Temple is one of the earliest. A ** saint by name Ladhkhan lived here for a long time and so people started calling it as Ladhkhan temple. It contains a Mukhamantapa, and a Garbhagruha with a Nandi idol. The tower **** not above the Sanctum, but over the centre of the temple.
c. The Durga temple: This temple is designed like a horse shoe and a Buddhist Chaityalaya. There is a Rangamantapa with two rows of pillars and the verandas on the two sides go till the Garbhagruha and merge in a semicircle. The temple is surrounded by a fort wall and so it is called the fort (Durga) temple. The back view of the temple resembles the posterior view of an elephant. The Shikara resembles the Shikara of the Orissa temples.
d. The Huchimalli temple : This temple contains the Shikara (Tower) of the Nagara style, It has square pillars and simple construction details. This is a very special feature of Chalukyan architecture.
e. Meguthi Jain temple: Built by Ravikirthi near Aihole, has a sanctum and two platforms built in the Dravidian style. The other important temples of Aihole are Jyothirlinga, Mallikarjuna, and Siddheswara, etc.,
f. Pattadakallu : The ancient name of Pattadakallu was ‘Kisuvolalu’. 10 temples of Badami Chalukyas are here. The Virupaksha or Lokeshwara temple is quite a famous one. This was built by Lokamadevi. (Queen of Vikramaditya – II). The architect of this temple was Anirvathachari Gunda.
It contains two main entrances at the east and west. In front of the Nandi mantapa, on either side of the big platform, there are two Sanctums. Next is the main garbhagruha, where a Shivalinga is installed with a pradakshanapatha. Above these, there is a tower built in the Dravidian style. The temple is 224 ft long and 150 ft broad.
g. Mallikarjuna or TVilokeshwara Temple: was built by Trilokamadevi, the other queen of Vikramaditya – II.’ Papanatha, Karisiddeshwara, and Jambulingeshwara temples are in the Nagar style. Sangameshwara, Virupaksha, and Mallikarjuna temples are in the Dravidian (Pallava) style.
