Wonders of Badami and Hampi

-The extinguished glories

 History is intangible. It is about battles fought long ago, golden ages,...the turning points of history –and many such things, but for a layman all these could as well be just fiction. But it's a different matter when you are face to face with the actual remains of history- like the ruins of ancient cities, antique artefacts in museums or old inscriptions carved in stone. History then suddenly becomes real and throbs with life. This precisely is what happened when we recently visited Aihole, Badami, Pattadkal and Hampi- all in the South Indian state of Karnataka. The first three are the ancient sites connected with the empire of Badami Chalukyas and the last one, of course, was the capital of Vijayanagara Empire.

 Badami Chalukyas ruled between 5^th and 8^th centuries and the most famous of them all was Pulikeshi the Second, who reigned during the years 610-642, (about the time of Prophet Mohammed in Arabia). The name Pulikeshi instantly brings to mind his contemporary in North India--the equally well known Harshavardhana, the valiant and wise emperor. When Harshavardhana sought to extend his empire in the South, it was Pulikeshi II who delivered a crushing defeat to him on the banks of Narmada. It was a North-South face off when the South won hands down. (Okay- this was just to spruce up this article, and not to create North-South controversy India!)

 During the heydays of the Chalukya Empire, it spread from Kaveri in the Southright up to Narmada in the North, and from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. Hence, it encompassed the present day Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, as also good parts of Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. In fact the Chalukya-Poet-King-Nripatunga (800-870 AD) boasted in one of his works that his  empire spread from Kaveri to Godavari. 

 Having read about the greatness and grandeur of the Badami Chalukyas, we were utterly disappointed to see the decrepit state of the present-day Badami town, which is the head quarter of Badami Taluk.  The streets are narrow, dusty, crowded and chaotic, with pigs given unfettered rights to roam and forage. But there is a good three star hotel occupied mostly by foreigners who apparently brave all the inconveniences of this typical Indian town just to savour the ancient art of India.

 Badami Chalukyas had Aihole as their capital to begin with, and later they moved to Badami. Pattadkal (‘patta’ in Kannada loosely means throne) was where the Chalukya emperors traditionally had their coronation. All these places in and around Badami, which is in the district of Bagalkot, have many stone-temples of that period. However, there are no surviving palaces or other secular buildings- perhaps because such buildings were still being built of wood and would have succumbed to the ravages of time long ago.

 Badami Chalukyas were great patrons of art and took particular interest in temple architecture and sculpture. It is said that there was a university here for architecture in those days, to which architects from all over India came to learn and hone their art. What sets these three places apart from other places known for temples in India is the sheer number of them, as also the proliferation, exuberance and innovation of styles found in these temples. Virtually, no two temples are alike. It does look that some of the temples, at least the small ones, were actually experimental projects offered by the students for the final exam, just as present day students of architecture have to do. Aihole has many such small temples with an astounding array of innovative designs and architecture.

 The larger temples were by built by kings themselves or their courtiers often in memory of some loved one, or to propitiate a particular deity, and these are the grand structures with great many beautiful carvings and sculptures.  Some of these are in Aihole, like the Durga temple, two storied Buddha Chaitralaya and Meguti Jinalaya. The Durga temple stands out with its unique architecture, delicate carvings and wonderful sculptures.

 

                     The uniquely curved and columned rear of the Durga Temple in Aihole

 

The Meguti Jinalaya, on the other hand is known for a very famous and historically significant inscription carved on its stone wall, detailing many major events connected with a succession of Chalukya kings.  Unlike many old inscriptions found in India, its date is mentioned - 634 AD. This Jain temple was built by Ravikeerti, who was a general in the army of Pulikeshi II. He was also a poet, a patron of art, a devotee of Jina and perhaps an historian too. The inscription is in Ravikeerti’s own words. The versatility of this multifaceted warrior is quite impressive.
 

 

 The Meguti Jinalaya in Aihole famous for the historic inscription by Ravikeerti.

 

 

 

                                    Sculptured exterior of a typical temple in Aihole

 

Statue of Mahisha-Mardhini in an Aihole temple

 

India’s famed religious tolerance was in full play here, with Shaiva, Vaishnava, Jain and Buddhist places of worship existing side by side, which shows that all religions were treated equally by the royalty. We should not forget that these religions, now being treated almost as one, were not treated so then. There was no ‘Hinduism’ yet and Christianity and Islam were yet to arrive. Hence, the differences among these indigenous   religions were perceived to be quite substantial in relative terms. There indeed was rivalry among the leaders of these religions and attempts were frequently made to ‘convert’ people, including the kings- to obtain better royal patronage. The Badami Chalukyas did ‘convert’ but all the same dealt with all the religions in even handed manner.

 Aihole’s temples are spread over a large area and the upkeep of the temples is not quite satisfactory, especially since some temples are being occupied by squatters. Incidentally, before the British arrived, almost all temples were encroached and many families made them their home, and some temples were even partitioned among the ‘heirs’. The British, and later the India government, systematically freed the temples one by one, and the process is still going on.  We have to thank the British for saving our temples from our own people.

 In contrast to Aihole, almost all temples of Pattadkal are clustered in a small area, isolated from the human habitats in a separated area with manicured lawns and well maintained pathways and are kept in reasonably good repair.

 

 

                 Temples of different styles in Pattadkal, all lined up as if for a competition

 Because of the way the temples, as also the surroundings are maintained, and the inherent importance of the temples, Pattadkal has obtained the coveted UN recognition as a world heritage site. The temples here are constructed in many variations of both North Indian as well as South Indian (including Pallava) styles. In fact, it is said that all these styles were conceived, improvised and perfected here. So, these temples were precursors of great temples which were built later all over India.

 

 

                                                A Pallava style temple in Pattadkal

 

The temples of Badami, unlike those of Aihole or Pattadkal , are cave temples, carved out of natural rock formations. The sculptors of those days must have been extraordinarily skilled, not only to carve a temple in the rock, but also to create breathtakingly beautiful sculptures you see inside them.

  

Exterior view of a rock-cut cave temple in Badami

 

 

                               The statue of Nataraja -the dancing Shiva- in a cave temple in Badami: the dance movement is almost palpable.

 

            Statue of Vishnu seated on the coiled Shesha in a Badami cave temple

             (Normally he is depicted in reclining position on his serpent bed)   

 

After Badami, we went to see Hampi, which is close to the modern town of Hospet, -also known for the nearby Vijaya Nagar Steel Plant.

 Hampi, then known as Vijayanagara, was the capital of the mighty Vijaya Nagara Empire which was founded around 1340 AD by two warrior brothers known as Hukka and Bukka (They were among the 5 sons of the warrior Sangama).  They were inspired to found a kingdom, and eventually an empire, by their spiritual guru Vidyaranya, much like Chandragupta was inspired by Chanakya to found the Mauryan Empire about 1600 years earlier to that. Circumstances were also similar. The Greeks then were threatening India’s freedom, culture and the way of life. This time, it was the Muslim invaders from Afghanistan and beyond, who, by then, had got entrenched in India, dividing it among them after scattering the Hindu kings to the fringes. It was the Vijayanagara kings who consolidated Hindu power to counter the Muslim threat. Their emblem was the wild boar, same as that of Chalukyas, who presumably inspired them, and whose glorious traditions they thought they were continuing. It is said that, later on, the Marathas lead by Shivaji, in turn got the inspiration from Vijaya Nagara Empire to preserve the Hindu culture by countering the Muslim power and influence. But despite their passion to preserve the ancient Indian culture, the Vijayanagara kings were tolerant towards other religions including Islam, amply proved by the fact that they had Muslim regiments in their army.

Art, commerce and literature flourished greatly in the powerful and prosperous Vijaya Nagara Empire, as has been reported by many contemporary foreign travellers. The Empire reached its zenith during the rein of Tuluva king Krishnadevaraya. Shortly afterwards, under the rule of his son-in-law, Aliya Ramaraya, the Empire suddenly collapsed in 1565 AD when the combined forces of the surrounding Muslim kingdoms delivered it a mortal blow. Vijayanagara was sacked and plundered most comprehensively and left in ruins. Subsequently known as Hampi, it is spread over a large area and still manages to connect with its former glory. It contains the ruins of many temples, palaces, a royal pool, aqua-ducts, gateways, roadways, a grand dais ‘Navami Dibba’ (from where the kings watched the victory parades or festivities) elephant stables, a large sized statue of Narasimha and many such structures. Among them, the magnificent temple of Virupaksha (Shiva) alone stands in remarkably good condition. This temple contains halls with beautifully carved stone pillars, exquisite ceiling paintings, a stone inscription of Krishnadevaraya himself and spacious courtyards.

 

 

                        The colonnaded halls and ‘gopura’s of the magnificent Virupaksha Temple complex

 

 

Lotus Mahal, the summer quarters of court ladies, with innovative water cooling system

 

 

The story of Ramayana, carved in bass relief panels, on the stone walls of Hazara  (thousand)     Rama Temple. 

 

 

                           Bass relief panel showing bashful foreign horse traders in the royal court

 
 

 
                                  Stone inscription of Krishnadevaraya in Virupaksha Temple

 

 

 

One of the many exquisite paintings in the ceiling of Virupaksha Temple

 

                                     A beautiful bass relief of a graceful hunter woman

 

 

The stone chariot in the courtyard of the Vijaya Vittala Temple (its wheels used to rotate, but now jammed to prevent misuse)
 

 

 

 

The well known ‘musical pillars’ of Vijaya Vittala temple which produce musical notes when struck (visitors are no longer allowed to touch these pillars now)

  

 

The elephant stables
 

 

 

The big, iconic Narasimha statue

 

When we were finished with Hampi ruins, we felt absolutely disconsolate about the extinguished glory of the Vijaya Nagara Empire. How wonderful it would have been, if Hampi had been spared of all that wanton destruction. In fact, in the nearby Bijapura, which was a contemporary of Vijayanagara, the many architectural wonders like the famous Gol-Gumbaz, still stand almost in their pristine glory. If Hampi had the same luck, it could well have been one of the most wonderful sights in the world. As it is, it attracts a very large number of domestic visitors and hordes of foreigners as a UNESCO designated World-heritage. 

 

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