Our plans to spend a few days exploring the temples and caves around Badami were dashed. There were no rooms to be had in either of the decent hotels. Plan “B,” as is sometimes the case, turned out to be the better option. We hired a cab for the day, visited all of the sites and returned to Hospet in time to catch the overnight bus to Mumbai.
After three hours in the TATA taxi we were glad to stretch our legs in Aihole as its temples glowed in the early morning sun. We concentrated on the main grouping, skipping the other 190 or so dotted around the countryside. Nearby Pattadakal is a pristine complex of many different styles, like an experimental school for 6th Century Indian architects. It reminded us of a miniature Ankor Wat. This section of Karanataka is well off the tourist trail. We were the only two Westerners around and Connie, as usual, attracted kids (and their parents) like moths to a flame. Everyone wanted to shake hands and have their pictures taken. Oh, the germs!
If Pattakadakal is Ankor, the caves of Badami are Lalabela, Ethiopia. The four caves, complete with intricately carved pillars and statues are works of art that incorporate the natural striations of the rock and overlook another temple on the shores of the lake below.
