Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal

The town of Badami, the nearby villages of Aihole and Pattadakal, and the pilgrimage site of Mahakuta, in the Malprabha valley of central Karnataka, are celebrated for their magnificent rock-cut shrines and structural temples. These Hindu and Jain monuments are associated with the Early Chalukyas who reigned over this part of the Deccan during the 6th-8th centuries. Together with a profusion of magnificent sculptures, mostly found in situ, these shrines and temples may be considered among the earliest, best preserved vestiges of temple art in India. This guidebook, the first ever for the Badami region, is authored by a scholar whose PhD was on Early Chalukya architecture. The text is illustrated with regional and town maps, building plans, and more than 130 splendid color photographs.

George Michell trained as an architect in Melbourne, and then obtained a PhD in Indian Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has carried out research at numerous historical sites and monuments in India, including Badami, and then Hampi Vijayanagara, which, together with John M Fritz, he has extensively documented over more than 20 years. Both he and Fritz have authored Hampi Vijayanagara in the Pictor/ Deccan Heritage Foundation guidebook series. Michell’s most recent publications include Mughal Architecture & Gardens and The Great Temple at Thanjavur. Surendra Kumar studied information technology in Bangalore, and now works partly as a photographer, specializing in panoramic topographic views. His work has been showcased in the recently published volume, Discovering the Deccan.