Designated as a world heritage site in 1987,
Pattadakal is 17 km from Bijapur in Karnataka. The Virupaksha Temple and
the Banashankari Temple here are the most famous sites that attract
tourists. It has been chosen because of the 10 major temples belonging
to the early Chalukya period ranging from 7th to 9th centuries. The
massive gateway and the number of inscriptions at the Virupaksha Temple
are noteworthy. The Banashankari Temple is dedicated to the Goddess
Banashankari and is situated in a small hamlet enroute Badami. The
Goddess idol has eight arms and is seated on a gold lion. It is believed
that the deity guards the village and every here a huge fair is held in
her honor where thousands of devotees come to pay their homage to her.
According to one of the inscriptions, Lokamahadevi, wife of
Vikramaditya II, to celebrate his conquest of Kanchi, built the
Virupaksha temple. The interiors showcase the scenes from Mahabharata
and Ramayana and one of the exquisitely carved designs seems like an
elephant from one side and buffalo from the other. The other tourist
attractions in the city include the Jambulinga Temple, which has a fine
figure of the Dancing Shiva, a horseshoe arch that projects from its façade
and a North-Indian style tower. The Dravidian-style Jain temple from the
ninth century has some beautiful sculptures too. Mallikarjuna and
Papanatha temples dedicated to the deity Virupaksha are elaborate and
rich in details and have been chiseled intricately and delicately. One
can see two styles of Indian architecture, side by side, at Pattadakkal.
