Pattadakal- Picturesque Temple Town Of The Chalukyas

Pattadakal is a world heritage site in Karnataka, and is situated on the bank of the Malaprabha River in Bagalkot district, located in close proximity to the township of Aihole and the temple city of Badami.  Pattadakal was also a Chalukya stronghold, housing a number of beautifully constructed monuments. This town is famous not only for magnificent Chalukyan creations but was also a holy site as the Royal coronation was held here. In 1987, UNESCO placed Pattadakal on its list of World Heritage sites.

One can visit this town via air, rail or road. The nearest airport is Belgaum, where airline from Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai operate flights. Badami is the closest rail head, with trains from Solapur and Ahmedabad arriving here. State tourist buses operate regular buses to Pattadakal from Bijapur, Bengaluru, Hubli and Belgaum.

A few places of interest in Pattadakal are outlined as follows.

Patadkkal temple complex

Attraction: Blend of Nagara and Dravidian style temple architecture

Built in the early eighth century, the temples in Pattadakal are a result of the Chalukya experimentation on temple architecture. The temple complex is a finely woven artistic web of the Dravidian or Southern style of temple architecture and the Nagara or the Northern style of temple architecture. Also famous are the temples including a Jain sanctuary, surrounded by a number of plinths and shrines, an experimental fusion of various architectural styles of the country. The town is famous for Chalukya art and temple inscriptions. The biggest temple in the complex is the Virupaksha, enclosed by a large Prakara. Historians who have deciphered the inscriptions believe that the temple was built by Lokamahadevi, the famous consort of King Vikramaditya to commemorate his victories over the Pallava Kings and his occupation of Kanchi.

Sangameshwara Temple

Attraction: Oldest temple in Pattadakal

Previously known as Vijayewara, the Sangameshwara temple is the oldest temple in the Pattadakal temple complex. A grand structure, with the outer walls painted and carved with the figurines of Lords Nataraja and Ugranarasimha.

The Mallikarjuna Temple

Attraction: An edifice built to honour King Vikramaditya II

This temple is an architectural wonder, albeit a smaller version of the Virupaksha temple. Built by the second queen of King Vikramaditya II, the temple was constructed by Rani Trilokyamahadevi in 745 AD in honour of her King's victory over the Pallavas. The temple was built immediately after the construction of the Virupaksha temple and in close proximity to it. This temple, though small is very beautiful and attests the skill and craftsmanship of the sculptors of the age.

Other noteworthy temples in the complex include the Kashivisvanatha Temple, the Kadasiddhesvara and Jambulingeswara temples, the Galganatha temple and a Jain Temple.

Sculpture Gallery

Attraction: Storehouse of sculptures

This gallery is maintained by the Archaeological survey of India within the temple complex and houses finely carved artefacts from the period of King Vikramaditya.

Entry Fee: Entry fee for those above 12 years is Rs. 5.00, free entry on Fridays.

Visit the Pattadakal temple complex to witness the splendour and magnificence of the Kings of the South.

Bangalore High Court- an architecural legacy

The Karnataka High Court which is located in the building called Attara Kacheri is a very famous tourist attraction of the city Bangalore. 

Located at the entrance of Cubbon Park this red bricked building houses the high court and several other lower courts. The building is two storied and is just opposite to Vidhan Soudha which is the Karnataka Secretariat building and another tourist destination.

The history of the building dates back to the Tipu Sultan reign. Believed to have been built in the late 1860s the Tipu Sultan reign appointed this building as the highest court of appeal back then. Named the High Court of Mysore back then the court received its present name in the year 1973.

The High Court as previously mentioned is located in a building called Attara Kacheri which means eighteen offices. This two storied building was built in the year 1868 under the supervision of Arcot Narayanaswami Mudaliar and was provided as a replacement for the eighteen departments of the general and revenue secretariat of the Tipu Sultan reign. These departments were asked to move into this building as their temporary residence which was Tipu Sultan’s summer palace was way too crowded and uncomfortable to perform the necessary work. When Cubbon was replaced as the Commissioner by Mr. Bowring he considered the building unsuitable for work and paved way for the construction of a new secretariat. The building was proposed to be demolished in the early 1980s but a public litigation against such a proposal made sure that no demolition took place.

The Attara Kacheri is a majestic building constructed in the Graeco-Roman style of architecture. Tourists are allowed to visit the place all year round and enjoy the Gothic architecture of the building. The red paint of the building compliments the beauty of Vidhan Soudha located opposite to it extremely well and this is one reason why it has been considered a great tourist attraction in Bangalore. The expansive premises has various Corinthian columns constructed in Gothic style architecture is an amazement to several architects who consider this place one of the most esteemed architectural marvel in the country. 

The building is located adjacent to the Venkatappa Art Gallery which is known for its display of famous paintings, artifacts and statues of Venkatappa himself who was considered a great artist back in his time. 

The other tourist attractions around this building are the Vishweshwariah Science & Technology Museum, Cubbon Park and Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall.  

Reaching this place is pretty easy and is easily accessible by using public transport such as buses and Autorickshaw. Tourists new to Bangalore can simply board the suitable bus from the Kempegowda bus station and reach the place in about ten minutes. Accommodation facilities are pretty easy to find here as there are a lot of famous hotels located in and around the locality. Some good places to stay include Fortune Park JP Celestial, Brunton Aster, The Infantry Hotel, Leela Palace Kempinski etc. These hotels are pretty affordable and luxurious.