Cave Temples, Badami

Travellers going through Badami must visit the cave temples made of sandstone, which are known for intricate carvings that explain mythological and religious events and teachings. There are four temples, out of which the oldest temple is Cave Temple 1 that was built in 5th century CE. This temple has carvings of Shiva in his Ardhanareeswara and Harihara avatars, as well as his Nataraja incarnation performing the Tandava dance. Lord Shiva has been presented on the right of his Harihara avatar with Lord Vishnu on the left. Travellers visiting this cave temple can also see Mahishasura Mardini and Ganpati, Shivalingam and Shanmukha.

Cave Temple 2 is devoted to Lord Vishnu, who has been depicted in his Varaha and Trivikrama incarnations here. Scenes of Puranas showing Vishnu and his Garuda avatar can be seen at the ceiling of this temple. The 100 ft deep Cave Temple 3 has images of Lord Vishnu in the forms of Trivikrama and Narasimha. Additionally, tourists can see the image of the wedding ceremony of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in frescoes. Cave Temple 4, a tribute to Jainism, has an image of Mahavira in a sitting position, along with a miniature Tirthankara Parshvanatha figure crafted within the cave.