- Best time
- October to February
- Distance from Bengaluru
- About 500 km
- Nearest railway station
- Badami
- Ideal time needed
- Half a day to a full day
Why Aihole matters
Aihole is often called the cradle of Indian temple architecture. Chalukya builders tried out many forms here, from flat-roofed halls to shrines with curved northern-style towers and early southern-style tiers, before the ideas matured at Pattadakal. Some structures on the site are even older than the Chalukya period, showing that the area was a centre of building activity for a very long time.
Temple construction continued in phases until about the 12th century, so the village holds a long sequence of styles within a short walk.
History
The early Chalukyas ruled much of the Deccan from Badami. Their best-known king, Pulakeshin II, defeated the northern emperor Harshavardhana in the 7th century, and an inscription at Aihole's Meguti temple records his achievements. The rulers supported several faiths, which is why Hindu and Jain shrines stand side by side here.
What to see
Most visitors start at the main fenced complex, which holds the Durga temple with its unusual rounded, apse-shaped plan, and the Lad Khan temple, one of the oldest on the site. The small Meguti Jain temple on the hill gives a fine view over the village. Plenty of smaller shrines lie among the houses and fields.
- Durga temple
- Lad Khan temple
- Meguti Jain temple
- Ravanaphadi rock-cut cave
- Archaeological museum
Best time and how to reach
The best season is October to February, when the plains are cool enough for walking between monuments. Summers are very hot. Aihole is around 500 km from Bengaluru; the nearest railhead is Badami, and Hubballi has the closest airport. Most travellers combine Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami in two or three days, and we can plan that circuit with a car and driver.
Also nearby
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