Our drive to Badami (aka Vatapi), India was exciting.  The bus clutch broke and the tour organizers scrambled to find another mode of transportation.  In the meantime, we flagged down a soda truck and grabbed a ride to the our next tour stop.  During our 2 day stop in Badamiwe took in a few of the hundreds of temples in the area.  It was an amazing demonstration of the evolution in the builiding techniques, variety and design of temples and their carvings over >1500 years

The first stop was the carved, cave temples of Badami.  These 4 Hindu and Jain temples were carved directly from the mountainside rock and overlook a serene lake with more impressive temples in the surrounding hills and lake flood plain.

Aihole features Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples and features the unusual oval shaped Durga temple built in the 4th century.

Pattadakal is a UNESCO world heritage site with a dense concentration of Hindu and Jain temples that is slightly reminiscent of Angkor Watt (although I haven’t been there yet – still a definite bucket list item.)

We also had time to wander through the hustle and bustle of the local Badami market.

Andre was super excited to get picked up by a couple of (soda) truck drivers.

`Badami Temple Caves, Badami, India

Carved `Badami Temple Caves, Badami, India

Temple carving with 18 arms (9 right, 9 left) demonstrating the 81 positions of classic Indian dancing, Badami, India

Ceiling Detail, Badami, India

View from cave, Badami, India

Room carved from sandstone rock, Badami, India

Jain Cave Temple, Badami, India

Jain carving, Badami, India

Badami Cave Temples

Grand developee (5th century style)

Carved sandstone temple room, Badami, India

4th Temple, Badami, India

Badami sites

Badami

College grad class trip image (complete with exotic foreigners)

Backlit cows

Shiva linga, Badami, India.

He bowls the cricket ball….

….and he misses….

YES, MY TURN!!!!!

Checking us out

Aihole temple with stone ladder

Durga Temple, Aihole, India

Anyone thirsty?

Yummy well water,

Dan Ware of Toto Tours making friends

Checking out the selfies

Centre of village life under the Bodhi tree

Aihole school visit

Happy for the foreigners’ interruption

The water supply seemed to be a major congregation point in many villages

Colourful Muslim buildings, Aihole, India

White Hindu dwelling, Aihole, India

Playing coy

Pattadakal – UNESCO World Heritage Site

Pattadakal, India. UNESCO Temples

A woman’s work…..

Ganesh shrine

Priest at Nandi Temple, Pattadakal, India

Always something to eat somewhere

Badami Vegetable Market

Badami street snacks

Colourful powders on display at Badami market

Interior of 3 walled room, Badami, India

Badami Market

Taking a break at Badami Market

No, this one is better…..

Temple for sunset viewing

Badami

What are you looking at?

Sun setting on Badami, India.