The town of Badami, the nearby villages of Aihole and Pattadakal, and the pilgrimage site of Mahakuta, in the Malprabha valley of central Karnataka, are celebrated for their magnificent rock-cut shrines and structural temples. These Hindu and Jain monuments are associated with the Early Chalukyas who reigned over this part of the Deccan during the 6th-8th centuries. Together with a profusion of magnificent sculptures, mostly found in situ, these shrines and temples may be considered among the earliest, best preserved vestiges of temple art in India. This guidebook, the first ever for the Badami region, is authored by a scholar whose PhD was on Early Chalukya architecture. The text is illustrated with regional and town maps, building plans, and more than 130 splendid color photographs.

The early Chalukyas of Badami (c. 6th-8th centuries) are known to have built a large number of rock-cut and structural temples, scattered over the entire Karnataka. In this south Indian state, their distinctive monuments can be seen in Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, and a few other places. By the end of the 6th century, they had also excavated highly impressive rock-cut temples at Badami and Aihole. These Early Chalukyan monuments are of special interest - for they mark a transition from cutting into rock to free-standing constriction. They are distinctive for their architectural styles as well. In these religious monuments can also be perceived an intermingling of Dravida and Nagara idioms to produce schemes that combine myriad attributes, derived from different traditions. This splendid technical and stylistic variety is further supplemented by local architectural practices, which come to be blended with the more widespread Dravida and Nagara idioms. Apart from all this, these Early Chalukyan temples are remarkable for the sheer beauty of their figural and decorative carvings.00For the first time, perhaps, this book offers a comprehensive study of the Early Chalukya temples from the Central Karnataka region. With prefatory chapters on their historical backdrop, architectural nuances and sculptural art, George Michell meticulously examines both the rock-cut and free-standing temples of Badami, Mahakuta, Aihole, and Pattadakal – together with over a hundred of his measured drawings which, taken from his Ph.D dissertation, present an exhaustive graphic documentation, never attempted before. In addition, the book includes about 200 at-once-engaging photographs, taken by Surendra Kumar – a specialist in panoramic topographic views.00Dr George Michell is a widely reputed architect, who, in collaboration with John M. Fritz, has successfully completed numerous documentation and research projects at Hampi, Vijayanagara.

&Lsquo;The Term Occurred To Me When We Started Out On A Tour Of Karnataka, From Mysore, Through Hunsur And Hassan, And Returning To Mysore Nearly One Week Later, Having Continuously Journeyed Up And Down The Ghats, The Konkan Coast And Coorg, And Never Seeing A Dry Patch Anywhere. Green Of Several Shades We Saw, Mountainsides Lightly Coated With Verdure And Fern, The Dark Foliage Of Trees Rising Hundreds Of Feet From The Valley, Light Green, Dark Green, Pale Green, Evergreen, And Every Kind Of Green Shade, Were Offered For Our Delectation All Through Our Circular Tour Of Approximately A Thousand Kilometres.&Rsquo; The Emerald Route Is R.K. Narayan&Rsquo;S Account Of His Travels Across His Homeland Of Karnataka, From Belur And Halebid To Gulbarga And Hampi, From The Hilly Prospects Of Mangalore To The Gold Mines Of Kolar, From The Legendary Battlefield Of Seringapanam&Mdash;Home Of Tippu Sultan&Mdash;To The Rock Formations Of Bellary&Mdash;Supposed To Be Gigantic Pellets Thrown By Bhima At Bakasura. As He Makes His Way Through The Shopping Complexes Of Bangalore And The Elephant Khedda At Karapur, Samples The Local Delicacies Like Nanjangud Bananas And Avaraikalu Beans And Enjoys The Sunsets And Mallige (Jasmine) At Mysore, The Master Storyteller Tells Us About The History And Mythology That Make Karnataka The Fascinating State It Is. Published In Paperback For The First Time, This Previously Unavailable Volume From India&Rsquo;S Greatest Living Writer Will Be A Delight To Every Fan Of R.K. Narayan. &Nbsp;

Hampi is one of the most beautiful and evocative of all historical sites in south India. Austere yet grandiose, it was established as the seat of the Vijayanagara empire in the mid-14th century, a time when art and architecture flourished. Contemporary chroniclers from Persia, Italy, Portugal and Russia visited the empire during this period and left glowing accounts of a city that was conquered by Sultanate troops in AD 1565, pillaged for six months, and abandoned. Hampi Vijayanagara examines the temples renowned for their florid ornamentation, intricate carvings, magnificent pavilions, stately pillars and a wealth of iconographic and traditional depictions. The book also includes site plans and three-dimensional reconstructions.

This Coffee Table book is our endeavor to bring out the glorious achievements of the Pallava and Chalukya dynasties and their awe-inducing temple constructions which have left an indelible mark on India. Their creations were pioneering structures that each subsequent kingdom, which followed them, learnt and adopted from. From the shores of Mahabalipuram to the great temple town of Kanchi, and from the capital town of Badami to Aihole and Pattadakal, we take you through a picturesque journey of the temples of these two great kingdoms. You will experience the temple architecture, the associated iconography, the inscriptions, the dynastic history and patrons for the different structures through this visual treat. This is an enthusiastic and joyful writing of a young mind on the most beautiful monuments of the Pallava rulers of Kanchi around 700 CE and also the Chalukyas of Badami at Aihole and Pattadakkal of the same time. Many have written before and many are likely to write in the future. But this is a response of a youth that would kindle the enthusiasm of the readers to read more about them. It is not a cut and paste book but a spontaneous outpouring. Exuberant illustrations supplement the written poetry. Read, enjoy and get immersed in the joy of aesthetics. Dr. R. Nagaswamy An absolutely fascinating journey into the Pallava-Chalukya period of Indian history with excellent photographs to complement the narrative in the text. This was an extraordinary period of economic and cultural expansion with Indian merchants sailing to far away kingdoms in Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia. The impact of this period can still be seen all over the Indian Ocean Rim. Let me congratulate Gurpreet and Bharat for bringing it alive.Sanjeev Sanyal

History and administration of the rulers of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami, Bijapur District, Karnataka; ca. 500-ca. 757.

Study of architecture.

This beautiful reprint illustrates the V & A's unrivalled collection of South Asian sculpture, putting "Indian temple Sculpture" in its context as an instrument of worship intended to embody powerful religious experience. Author John Guy considers the origin, cosmological meaning and role of sculpture within the temple setting, and reveals the vivid rituals and traditions still in practice today. The book is also an absorbing introduction to the principal iconographic forms in the three traditional religions of the Indian subcontinent, Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, with the principal deities presented through their myths and manifestations. John Guy is Senior Curator of South and South-East Art in the Asian Department of the V & A.0.