| Sightseeing Highlights:
The main attraction for tourists is the magnificent Durga temple. A pillared corridor runs around the temple, encircling the inner sanctum. The walls and pillars are covered with beautiful carvings. The temple was probably built in the late 7th or early 8th century. The other temples here are the Huchimalli Temple with a sculpture of Vishnu sitting atop a large cobra, the Ravalphadi Cave Temple celebrating the many forms of Shiva, the Konti Temple Complex, and the Umamaheswari Temple.
There is also a Jain Meguti Temple, and a two-storied Buddhist Temple here.
Other Activities:
It is close to a number of other important tourist places in this region such as Badami and Pattadakal.
A tranquil village, located on the banks of the Malaprabha River, Aihole is known as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. It is situated at a height of around 590 mt. and about 480 km from Bangalore. Aihole was the first capital of the Chalukya kings and was built around the 4th-7th century.
There
are hundreds of temples in the villages and fields nearby. It is said
that here, within a one km circumference, there are 125 temples and the
most impressive one is the Durga Temple.
The first phase of temple building in Aihole dates back to the 6th
century AD, while the second phase extends up to the 12th century AD. |
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