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Pattadakal was the second capital of the Chalukyan kings, established between the 7th and 8th centuries. This is where the king was crowned. It is a small village 17km from Aihole.

Located here are ten temples representing the ultimate in early Chalukyan architecture. The Virupaksha, Papanath, and Mallikarjuna Temples were intricately carved in the 7th and 8th century. The temples were constructed of sandstone, which glows pink in the sunset.

The Sanghameswara Temple (733) is the oldest temple. The Papanath Temple is a northern style temple with impressive carvings on the ceiling and pillars. The area is unique in that it incorporates both northern and southern architectural styles.
The Malaprabha River flows next to the town. There are no facilities except a few tea stalls and coconut stands. Badami is 1½ hr away and Aihole 30 minutes.

Temple Area
There are six important temples here along with a small Sculpture Gallery (weekdays 10 am to 5 pm).

Virupaksa (744) is the largest of the temples in the village. In front of the Virupaksha Temple there is a 2.6m high Nandi bull made of a deep green stone and covered with a red cape. The interior pillars of the Virupaksha Temple are carved with scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Queen Lokamaha-devi, the wife of King Vikramaditya II, built this temple. There is a sculpture in the temple that looks like a buffalo if you look at it from one side and an elephant from a different side.

King Vikramaditya II’s second wife, Trailokyamahadevi, built the small Mallikarjuna Temple (745). This temple has pillars with carvings depicting Lord Krishna’s birth and activities.

There are other, smaller 8th century temples, including the Kadasiddheswara, Jambulinga, Galaganatha, Sangameswara, and Kashivishvanath Temples.

South of these temples is the Papanath Temple, the largest of the North Indian-style temples. On the outside walls are sculptures depicting pastimes from the Ramayana.

About 1km south of the village is the interesting Jain Rashtrakuta Temple.

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