Mahakuta Group of Temples
ಮಹಾಕೂಟ
A 7th-century Shiva temple complex in a valley, built around a natural spring-fed pool where pilgrims bathe, in a quiet and serene setting.
Mahakuta is an important Shaivite pilgrimage site of the Chalukya period. Its temple complex, built in the 6th and 7th centuries, includes more than twenty shrines arranged around the sacred pool Vishnu Pushkarani, which is fed by natural springs. The main temple, Mahakuteshvara, combines Nagara and Dravidian styles and still attracts devotees. The pool holds clear water year-round, and pilgrims bathe in it. A small four-faced lingam shrine stands at its edge. Worship is free, the site is open during the day, and visitors must remove their shoes. Mahakuta lies about 14 km east of Badami, roughly 30 minutes by tuk-tuk, and can be combined with Banashankari Temple in the same half-day trip.
Opening hours
About 06:00–20:00
Nearby sights
- Sidlaphadi Cave
- Malegitti Shivalaya
- Bhutanatha Group of Temples
- Archaeological Museum, Badami
- Agastya Lake
- Badami Cave Temples
- Badami North Fort & Upper Shivalaya
- Banashankari Temple