Badami Caves

Badami, Karnataka, India

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries.

The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas Cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone.
From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.