Aihole (Durga Temple Complex)
ಐಹೊಳೆ
Known as the 'cradle of Indian temple architecture,' this ancient village has over a hundred temples scattered across it. The horseshoe-plan Durga Temple, with its surrounding colonnade, is especially distinctive.
Aihole was an early religious center of the Chalukya dynasty. Over a hundred temples dating from the 5th to 12th centuries are spread through the village and its surroundings, earning it the title 'cradle of Indian temple architecture.' At the core is the Durga Temple complex within the Archaeological Survey of India enclosure. The Durga Temple, built in the 7th and 8th centuries, has a rare horseshoe-shaped plan surrounded by a colonnade, and its columns and ceilings are covered in fine carvings. Within the same grounds are early flat-roofed square temples such as the Ladkhan Temple and the Gaudagudi Temple, as well as a small sculpture museum. Admission is about 25 rupees for Indian visitors and about 300 rupees for foreign visitors, and the site is open roughly 6:00–18:00. It is about 35 km from Badami and 13 km from Pattadakal, so hiring a car for a day trip to all three is recommended.
Opening hours
About 06:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Ravanaphadi Cave
- Meguti Jain Temple
- Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
- Mahakuta Group of Temples
- Sidlaphadi Cave
- Malegitti Shivalaya
- Bhutanatha Group of Temples
- Archaeological Museum, Badami