Badami

Pre-Historic

Badami is surrounded by many pre-historic places including Khyad area of Badami, Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.

Sidlaphadi near Badami a natural rock bridge like structure was studied by archaeologist A Sundar, he found the fading paintings on the roof of the arch. The blunt weapons of stone discovered in the premises have affirmed the findings. Similarly the paintings and the weaponry found in surrounding area of Badami.

 Sidlaphadi

Mythology

The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya.There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland, Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.

It is also believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone(badam -Almond).

Vatapi was the capital of the Early Chalukyas who ruled between the 6th to 8th centuries.It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakesi I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirtivarman I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesa (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them wasPulakesi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings but failed to capture Pallava's capital Kanchipuram.

The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarman I seized Badami in 642 AD. Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD.and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram,the capital of Pallavas  TheRashtrakutas absorbed karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. Also see Chola-Chalukya wars. The Chola-Chalukya wars were a series of wars fought from 992 A.D.to 1120 A.D. between the Chola and the Chalukya kingdoms. It was occupied by the Hoysalas.

Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire,The Adil Shahis, Mughals, The Savanur Nawabs The Marathas, Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.

                                                    Vatapi Ganapati

In the Karnatic music and Hamsadwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Mutthuswamy Deekshitar.The idol of Vatapi Ganapati is now in Tiruchenkaatankudi near Thanjavur of Tamilnadu.

In 7th century, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami  by Sirutondar(General of Pallavas) who defeated Chalukyas.