Religious/ Spiritual

There are two Bhuthanatha Temples which faces the lake. The Bhutanatha monuments constitute the early modes and phases of South Indian temple architecture.

Both the temples glitter with a very special color from the sun in the afternoon. They are made of local sandstone. The lake beneath the cave temples borrows its name from the Bhutanatha temples.

The temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The deity is presented in the form of Bhutanatha which means God of Souls.

There are in all 4 cave temples in Badami. They are carved from a hill which is opposite the fort of Badami. Three caves represent the Brahmanical style. The fourth one follows the Jain style. Nearly 2000 steps should be climbed in order to reach the cave.

The first cave has Shiva as Natraja with eighteen arms and he is seen in 81 dancing postures. Lord Vishnu is the holy deity of the second cave and is evidenced as a dwarf or Trivikrama. The third cave has Vishnu evidenced in many forms. The fourth cave is devoted to Jain Thirthankaras.

A little east of the shrine, on top of this cliff is a Jain temple. Here one can find many Jain temples and a huge figure of Parswanatha.

Located to the northeast of Ladh Khan Temple, the sanctum of this temple has a 0.6-meter high icon of Surya along with his two consorts Usha & Sandhaya, being drawn by horses. The temple, dating from the 7th - 8th centuries, has a four-pillared inner and a 'Rekhanagara' tower over the sanctum.

The only dated monument in Aihole, the Meguti Temple was built atop a small hill in 634 AD. Now partly in ruins, possibly never completed, this temple provides an important evidence of the early development of the Dravidian style of Architecture. The inscription dating the monument is found on one of the outer walls of the temple and records its construction by Ravikeerti, who was a commander & minister of Pulakesin II.

The experimental nature of temple building by the Chalukyas is best elaborated in the Ladh Khan Temple, located south of the Durga Temple. Not knowing how to build a temple, they built it in the Panchayat hall style. The windows were filled up with latticework in the northern style and the sanctum was added later on. The sanctum is built against the back wall and the main shrine has a Shivalinga along with a Nandi. Above the center of the hall, facing the sanctum is a second smaller sanctum with images carved on the outer walls.

Situated in the middle of bazaar, the earliest of these temples was probably built in the 5th century. The first temple has panels of Brahma, Shiva & a reclining Vishnu on the ceiling.

This appears to be one of the earliest groups of temples in Aihole, located to the north of village behind the Tourist Home. The sanctum has a northern style "Rekhanagara" tower over it. The vestibule in front of the sanctum was introduced for the first time here.

Close to Ladh Khan Temple & built in the similar lines, the Gowda Temple was dedicated to Bhagavati. Standing on a high moulded base and having about 16 fairly plain pillars, this temple was probably built even earlier than the other structures.

The temple derives its name from Durgadagudi meaning 'temple near the fort'. Dedicated to Vishnu, the temple appears to be a Hindu adaptation of the Buddhist chaitya (hall) with its apsidal end. Standing on a high platform with a 'rekhanagara' type of Shikhara, it is the most elaborately decorated monument in Aihole. The columns at the entrance and within the porch are carved with figures and ornamental reliefs. The temple appears to be a late 7th or early 8th century construction.