Chalukyas of Badami

Chalukyas of Badami - Rulers and their Contributions

Period:  AD 543 - AD 755

Capital: Badami (Vatapi)

• They set up their kingdom in western Deccan, with the capital at Vatapi (modern Badami in Karnataka). 
• They were involved in a political struggle with Pallavas that continued with ups and downs for over a hundred years.

Pulakesin I (540- 566 AD)

• Established city of Vatapi
• First sovereign ruler of the Chalukya dynasty.
• Titles: Vallabheshwar, Satyashraya, Rana-vikrama, Rajasimha etc.
• Religion: Performed Ashvamedha sacrifices, thus followed Vedic religion.
• Inscriptions: Badami rock inscription and Amminabhavi stone tablet inscription talks about Pulakesin I.
• Pulakesin I was followed by his son Kirtivarman I

Kirtivarman I (566-597 AD)

• Aihole Inscription: It states that Kirtivarman was “the night of doom” for the Nalas, Mauryas of Konkan and the Kadambas.
• Conquest of Konkan: Brought the vital port of Goa, or Revatidvipa, into the growing empire. 
• Inscriptions: Godachi copper plate inscription talks about Kirtivarman I.

Pulakesin II

(608- 642 AD)

• The kingdom rapidly rose to prominence during his reign.
• Titles: Satyashraya, Bhattaraka, Parameshvara and Maharajadhiraja
• Pulakeshin's subjugation of the Vishnukundins (allies of the Pallavas) brought him into conflict with the Pallavas. 
• Battle of Pullalur, AD 618-19: He defeated and killed the Pallava king Mahendravarman-I.
• Aihole inscription: He defeated Harshavardhana in AD 630 and acquired the title ‘Dakshinapatheshvara’ (lord of the south).
• Hsuen Tsang calls Pulakeshin's kingdom ‘Mo-ho-la-cha’, providing evidence of Pulakeshin's success against Harsha. 
• Battle of Vatapi, AD 642: He was defeated and killed by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I. 
• Ajanta Cave 1: A painting depicts the Sassanian ambassadors in his court. He maintained good relations with the Sassanian empire, which later led to the influx of Zoroastrians during the rise of Islam.
• Religion: Lohner and Pimpalner copper-plate inscriptions attest that he was a Vaishnavite.
• Religious tolerance: He was also tolerant of other faiths like Shaivism and Buddhism.

Contribution of Pulakesin II to Art, Architecture and Literature:

• Several of his inscriptions begin with salutations to Vishnu and bear seals with emblems that feature Varaha, an incarnation of Vishnu.
• The construction of the Shaivite shrines, now called the Upper Shivalaya, the Lower Shivalaya, and Malegitti Shivalaya, started during his reign.
• The Meguti Jain temple at Aihole was also built during his reign by Ravikirrti, who composed the Aihole inscription engraved on the wall of this temple.
• The Aihole prashasti inscription, composed by Pulakeshin's court poet Ravikirtti, records the construction of a Jinendra temple by Ravikirtti and lists Pulakeshin's military achievements.

Vikramaditya I (644-681AD)

• After the death of Pulakesin II, he restored order in the fractured kingdom and made the Pallavas retreat from the capital Vatapi.

Chalukyan Art and Architecture

Temple Architecture

• Vesara Style: Mixture of Nagar and Dravida styles.
• This style originated and flourished at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal.
• Important sites: Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami.
• Cave Temples:
  • Found in Ajanta, Ellora and Nasik. 
  • They are monolithic and excavated in sloppy hills. 
  • They are Brahmanical dedication and Buddhist in style and technique. 

Pattadakal (Raktapura) Group of Monuments (West Bank of Malprabha River)

• Pattadakal: Ten temples built in the seventh and eighth centuries, generally dedicated to Shiva, the most celebrated of which are the Papanatha temple (AD 680) and the Virupaksha temple. 
• Elements of Vaishnavism and Shaktism theology and legends are also featured.
• Style: Fusion of two major Indian architectural styles, one from north India (Rekha-Nagara-Prasada) and the other from south India (Dravida-Vimana).
• The Ten Temples: Kadasiddheshwar Temple, Jambu Lingeshwara Temple, Galaganatha Temple, Chandrashekhara Temple, Sangameshwara Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Virupaksha Temple, Papanath Temple and Jain Narayana Temple.
• Papanath Temple: Has a low and stunted tower in the northern style.
• The site, states Archaeological Survey of India, is mentioned in texts by Srivijaya and is referred to by Ptolemy as "Petirgal" in his Geography.
• UNESCO description: Pattadakal as "a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India".
• Stones used: Structures were built using the sandstones found abundantly locally at Pattadakkal. Some of the sculptures are carved from polished black granite.

Badami Temples

• Complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples.
• Caves 1-4: 
  • Sandstone Formation.
  • Cave 1: Tandava-dancing Shiva as Nataraja
• Bhutanatha group of temples:
  • Along Agasthya Lake.
  • came under the influence of Jains for a while. Later, it was taken over by the Lingayats, who installed a Shiva Linga in the shrine and a Nandi in front. 
  • Style: Blend of North Indian and early South Indian temple architecture.
• The Mallikarjuna Temple:
  • Lies northeast of the lake and belongs to the period of the later Chalukyas, the Chalukyas of Kalyani. 
  • It has the tiered pyramid structure characteristic of Western Chalukya Architecture.
• Shikhara: Dravidian type.
• All the Early Chalukyan caves and temples in Badami, except Upper Shivalaya, are nirandhara structures.

Virupaksha Temple

• Largest of the Pattadakal Monuments.
• Built-in 740 AD by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband's victory over the kings from the South.
• Style: Purely Southern style.
• Has a very high square and storeyed tower (shikhara).
• Temple walls represent scenes from the Ramayana.
• It is also known as “Sri Lokeshwara Mahashila Prasada”, honouring queen Lokamahadevi who commissioned the temple.
• Facing east, this temple has on plan a square sanctum (garbhagriha) with a circumambulatory path (pradakshina patha), an antarala with two small shrines for Ganesa and Mahishamardini facing each other in front.
• The Tower: Above the sanctum is a three-storey pyramidal structure, with each storey bearing motifs that reflect those in the sanctum below.
• The Nandi-Mandapa, situated east of the temple, is a square pavilion open on all four sides. It houses a large image of Nandi on a raised floor.
• Carvings on Sanctum Walls: Depict images of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism deities.
  • Themes such as Narasimha and Varaha (Vaishnavism), Bhairava and Nataraja (Shaivism), and Harihara (half Shiva-half Vishnu).

Aihole Group of Temples (Along Malprabha River)

• Mainly flourished from the reign of Pulakesin I to Pulakesin II.
• There are several groups of temples and two cave shrines dotting the landscape.
• Ravanphadi cave:
  • Consists of a mandapa, garbhagriha and two side galleries flanking Mandapa.
  • A 6th-century artwork showing dancing Shiva (Nataraja) with Parvati, Saptamatrikas or seven mothers of Shaktism tradition, Ganesha and Kartikeya.
• Two layouts: Sandhara (with circumambulatory path) and Nirandhara (without circumambulatory path).
• Several superstructures:
  • Shikhara: Tapering superstructure of discrete squares.
  • Mundamala: Temple without superstructure, literally, garland with a shaved head.
  • Rekha-Prasada: Smooth curvilinear superstructure also based on squares prevalent in northern and central India.
  • Dravidian Vimana: Pyramidal style of southern India) and,
  • Kadamba-Chalukya Shikhara: A Fusion style.
• Guadar Gudi
  • Garbhagriha  is centrally located.
  • Sandhara structure. 
  • Has mundamala shikhara.
• Temples like Huchhimalli gudi and Huchhapayya gudi signify development in the Rekha-prasada type of shikhara.
• Durga temple: a rare example of an apsidal plan in early Chalukyan temples. It has a Sandhara plan.
• Aihole is the ‘cradle of Indian temple architecture’.
• Most temples are Brahmanical, but there are a few Jain temples also.
• Blocks of stone were used for vertical construction.
• Unique Shikharas: The curvilinear and pyramid-like shikhara developed here, not developed in the south.
• One Buddhist monument in Aihole, on Meguti Hill. 
• Jain Monuments: Aihole preserves four collections of about ten Jain monuments from the 6th to 12th century AD, associated with the Meena Basti. 
  • These are found on the Meguti hill, Chanranthi matha, Yoginarayana complex and an early Jaina cave temple

Lad Khan Temple (Aihole)

• Also known as Chalukya Shiva Temple.
• Originally dedicated to Vishnu.
• Style: The temple was built in a Panchayatana style (central shrine surrounded by four other shrines).
• Special Feature: It starts with a rectangular structure and ends with a square structure.

Paintings

• Paintings are found in a cave temple dedicated to Vishnu in Badami.
• Chalukyas adopted the Vakataka style in painting.
• Many of the paintings are of incarnations of

Vishnu.

• The most popular Chalukya painting is in the palace built by King Mangalesan (597-609). 
  • It is a scene of the ball being watched by members of the royal family and others.

Chalukyan Literature

• Languages

• Sanskrit
• Kannada
• Prakrit

• Aihole Inscriptions (by Ravikirti)

• Sanskrit inscription at Meguti Jain temple in Aihole.
• Language: Chalukyas used Sanskrit in pillar inscriptions such as Aihole and Mahakudam.

• Badami Inscription

• It mentions Kannada as the local Prakrit, meaning the people’s language, and Sanskrit as the language of culture. 

• Saptavataram

• A grammar work authored by the chieftain of Pulakesin II in Sanskrit.

• Tripadi

• During this period, the ‘Tripadi’ form of poetry existed.
• One of the poems in the inscription of Kappe Arabhatta of Badami is in Tripadi form.

• Kaumudi Mahotsav

• It was written by Pulakeshi II’s daughter-in-law, Vijjika, a poetess.