Badami Holiday Guide - Visit historical Badami town in Bagalkot ditrict, Central Karnataka and explore the famous Cave temples here

About Badami

Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town in Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India.  It was the capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for rock cut and other structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone protrusion that surrounds Agastya Lake.

Geography

Badami is located at an average elevation of 586 meters (1922 feet). It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.

How to reach Badami

It is located 128 kilometers from Bijapur (Vijapura), 132 kilometers from Hubli, 46 kilometers from Aihole, another ancient town, and 500 kilometers from Bangalore (Bengaluru), the State capital.

It is connected to Hubli and Bijapur by train. It is on the Hubli Sholapur rail route, and the rail station is 5 kilometers from the town. It is also connected by road to Hubli and Bijapur.

Badami is reachable from Bangalore by a 12-hour bus ride, or with a combination of an overnight train journey from Bangalore to Hospet followed by a short bus ride from Hospet to Badami. Local transport is by Rickshaws, tongas and city buses.

Climate in Badami

• Summer - March to June
• Spring - January to March
• Monsoons - July to October
• Winter - November to January

The temperature ranges from minimum 23 degrees to 45 degrees during summer and from 15 to 29 degrees in winter. The rainfall of the area is moderate. Best time to visit is between low humid season from November and March.

Badami History

It was founded in 540 A.D. by Pulakesi I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples.

The greatest among them was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including Pallava king Mahendra Verman I and extended the kingdom.  

Badami subsequently passed on to Vijayanagar Empire, The Adil Shahis, The Savanur Nawabs, the Marathas, and Hyder Ali. The British made it a part of the Bombay Presidency.

Badami Tourist Attractions

Badami's main tourist attractions are the Cave temples. They are more than 1200 years old and are representative of the relegious tolerance at that period. Apart from this there are few other interesting temples and monuments around Badami. Close to Badami are other historical sites like Aihole and Pattadkal. Read more tourist attractions in Badami.

Travel Plan for visiting Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal

Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, Kudala Sangama and  Almatti Dam can be visited by basing yourself at Bijapur (Vijapura) town. There are State Government buses as well as private tourists plying between Bijapur (Vijapura) and these towns and also connecting the nearby town of Bagalkot. Alternatively, you can prefer a conducted tour of the Karnataka State Tourism Devpt. Corpn (KSTDC).

Go back to Karnataka travel destinations or explore Pattadakal and Aihole in the same region (Bagalkot)