http://travelindiathroughmyeyes.com/aihole-the-cradle-of-hindu-temple-architecture-mahakuta/
My last travelogue was on Badami. After spending two delightful days at Badami, the next morning (20th September 2017), we grabbed a quick breakfast of sandwiches & coffee and left at 8 am by a cab for Aihole. We were looking forward to another exciting day of discovery & exploration at Aihole (35 kms from Badami), Pattadakal (14 kms from Aihole) and Mahakut (24 kms from Pattadakal). A little less than one hour drive to Aihole from Badami is picturesque during monsoon with low hills, valleys, paddy fields and Malaprabha river enhancing the beauty of the landscape.
Historical perspective of Aihole:
The temples at Aihole span a period between 6th to 12th centuries
-the early and late Chalukya periods and also the intervening era of the
Rashtrakutas. The Archaeological finds near Aihole have found the
plinths of ancient temples and buildings underground which suggest that
they were built in the 5th century by the Satvahanas who were ruling
this area before Chalukyas established their empire. The discovery of
paintings in caves and ancient tools point to the fact that this place
was inhabited from pre-historic times. The period between 6th to 8th
centuries is the time when the town of Aihole was at its zenith of
prosperity & glory. Even though the capital shifted to Badami,
Aihole continued to remain the regional & commercial capital.
Aihole
was an important trading centre from ancient time is suggested by the
temple inscriptions which mention the ‘Ayavole 500 Guild’ of merchants.
The place also finds mention in Ptolemy’s writings as an important trade
centre. The founder of Western Chalukya dynasty Jayasimha in the first
half of the sixth century established his capital at Aihole. His
grandson Pulakeshin I shifted the capital a century later to Badami as
it was found to be strategically more useful location. The Aihole
Inscription, believed to have been composed by Kannada poet Ravikeerthi,
is a great source for reconstructing the history of this period. It
records the achievements of Pulakeshin II, especially his victory
against Harshavardhana, the ruler of Northern India in early 7th
century. It is believed that Pulakeshin II turned a follower of Jainism
in later life.
Mythological connection:
Legend has it that Lord Parasuram, after killing the Kshatriyas with his axe to avenge the death of his father, came down to the river Malaprabha near Aihole and washed his blood-stained hands and battle axe. The blood and gore on the axe turned the river red. A woman saw this and screamed ‘Ayyo Hole’ or ‘Oh No ! Blood!’ in Kannada, hence the name Ayavole that with time became Aihole.
Temples of Aihole
It can be said that Aihole was the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. Once upon a time Aihole had more than 125 temples spread over an area of 4 square kms. Many still survive though in different stages of preservation. The temples at Aihole have diverse forms which have been influenced by the architectural designs from different regions. It is said that Aihole along with Pattadakal were centres of temple architecture experimentation during the Chalukya era. There are some early Buddhist caves & Jain shrines too. For lovers of temple architecture the place is a sheer delight.
Durga temple
‘Durga temple’ is the largest & most elaborate temple at Aihole. It is the finest specimen of the early Chalukya period and was built in the 7th century. Please do not go by the name – the temple is not dedicated to goddess Durga but the name refers to ‘दुर्ग’ as the temple is located in a place which was earlier inside the Aihole fort. The fortifications & walls of the fort still survive at some places. As the English travellers & historians mentioned about the ‘Durg temple’ Durg became Durga ! It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The apsidal shaped temple imitates the style of Chaitya halls belonging to the early Buddhist architecture. This structure is also unusual as it has columns running around the building to form a peristyle. The garbhagriha (sacred sanctuary or shrine) end of the building forms an unusual semicircular curve. Different beautiful large sculptures of Hindu deities are depicted in the niches (in clockwise sequence) – Shiva with Nandi, Narasimha, Vishnu with Garuda, Varaha, Durga as Mahisasurmardani and Harihara. The sculpted panels such as those depicting Durga in her battle with the buffalo demon and Shiva alongside Nandi are amongst the finest examples of all ancient Indian sculpture. Two of the panels removed from the temple are on display at National Museum in New Delhi while two panels are in Museum in Mumbai (erstwhile Prince of Wales Museum)
Lad Khan temple
This edifice was built by the Chalukyas and was much later named after a Muslim prince who converted it into his residence. Though some believe that it is named after a Sufi Saint who lived in the temple. The name survives till today. This monument is evidence of the experimental nature of Chalukyan temple architecture. It is an elaborate construction where the North Indian screens, the carvings on the porch and inside are incorporated into a Deccan-style house of two storeys. The temple was built in the Panchayat hall style with two sanctums and achieved harmony of proportions. The main sanctum contains a Shiva Linga and a Nandi, whereas the second sanctum has intricate carvings on the outer wall.
Meguti temple: This temple has the distinction of being the only dated monument in Aihole. It was built in 634 AD by Ravikeerti, Commander and Minister of Pulakesin II. Now partly in ruins, this temple is one of the earliest examples of the Dravidian style of architecture. It has been renovated over the years with a superstructure and a 16 column porch being added.
The other notable temples are Hucchimali temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Gauda temple, Suryanarayan temple Chikki temple & Kunti group of temples
As one moves from one sculpture to another and one temple to another one can not stop exclaiming ‘Wow’ – ‘Marvellous’. One wonders about those long forgotten unsung craftsmen who toiled for years together to churn out these beauties that still continue to amaze us. What would have inspired those mighty kings to build these magnificent temples !? Their palaces have disappeared but these temples still stand as a testimony to their grand vision and probably it was either their desire to be remembered by generations to come as mighty builders or for their need to communicate with the Almighty !!
Ravan Phadi: This two-storeyed rock temple dates back to the 6thcentury. It is provided with a vestibule with carved panels on either side, and has a triple entrance. It is most noteworthy for its adornments dedicated to Lord Shiva, with the Mahishasuramardhini, the great Dancing Shiva linga with Ganesha and sapta-matrikas present in the sanctum
Ambigera Gudi Complex: this complex is located close to the place where people of Ambiger Community (boatsmen) live hence it has acquired this name. It was probably built in the 10th century. The larger of the three temples in this complex has Nagara Shikhara and a sanctum with a mandap. There is a Stepwell too in the complex.
Buddhist cave: on a small hill some 1 km from the temple complex is a cave that has Buddhist sculptures believed to have been built in the 6th century. The ceiling has beautiful carving.
There are many other temples strewn in Aihole & an unfinished Jain cave also in Aihole but one needs a full day to explore them.
We left Aihole around 12 pm for Pattadakkal (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and spent more than three hours there. I had thought of covering Pattadakal too in this travelogue but there is so much to write about it with so many pics that I thought that it deserved a separate blog. Instead I am covering Mahakuta here. It was some 45 mins drive to Mahakuta from Pattadakkal where we reached around 5 pm and spent an hour.
Mahakuta
Many miss out on visiting Mahakuta which is less than 15 kms from Badami. A beautiful winding road through green plantations & thick forests takes you to the idyllic setting of Mahakuta temple complex which is sheltered in a grove surrounded by hills and it induces a sense of mystery which seem to be the deliberate intention of the creator! It has a rectangular water tank fed by underground perennial spring from the nearby mountains where the devotees take bath before visiting the temples. Standing within the tank is a small pavilion that houses a four-faced Shiv Ling.
There are beautiful sculptures in some of the ancient temples built in the late 7th Century though due to neglect they are getting spoilt. All the temples and the tank are enclosed in a walled complex with gate at the entrance. The principal temple is Mahakuteshvara temple which has Nandi in a separate pavilion outside facing the temple. The striking image in this temple is that of Ardhanarishvara. The other temple is Mallikarjuna temple which also has images of Vishnu & Brahma on the outer wall. Sangameshwara & Mahalinga temples have sculptures of Harihara & Lakulisha (some scholars believe it to be that of Shiva in Urdhav Linga (Erect phallus) form. In particular the sculpture of Varaha lifting Bhudevi is striking & captivating. I was fascinated & bit intrigued to see the sculptures of Varaha at all the 4 locations because I had not seen so many Varaha sculptures in one go at many other locations visited by me in India. On digging a bit of the history, I got my answer – Varaha was the principal deity of the Chalukyas !
By the time we returned to our hotel in Badami it was 7 pm. After dinner we retired to bed early as it had been an exhaustive day.
Watch out for my travelogue on Pattadakal that I shall post next Saturday.
Both Aihole & Pattadakal are villages so there are no options to stay there. One has to return to Badami if one proposes to stay overnight. The best way to cover these places is in own vehicle.
References:
(1) The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India (Volume I) by George Michell published in 1990
(2) ‘In Praise of Aihole -Badami-Mahakuta- Pattadakal’ by Marg Publications
You can reach me at rameshkabra1956@gmail.com. Please visit my Instagram account @rameshkabraexplorer for nature pics or newly created Insta account @artheritageofindia_rameshkabra
Your comments & feedback on this travelogue would be welcome.
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