Aihole Tour & Travel Guide

The Aboriginal Canvas of Chalukya Temple Architecture

Also referred to as Aryapura, Aivalli, and Ahivolal, Aihole is a tiny town on the banks of Mallaprabha river in Indian state Karnataka. Tugged amidst farmlands and sandstone hills, this quaint little town Aihole is a prime heritage tourism site in India. It is an important archaeological site that has more than one hundred and twenty stone & cave temples of ancient and medieval era. This place is an historic site with Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist monuments that date from the 4th century to the 12th century.

Aihole is around 35 km from Badami and about 10 km from Pattadakal and these two places are major centers of Chalukya monuments. Aihole emerged in the 6th century as a bed of experiments made using intricate stone artwork, exemplary temple architecture and unique construction techniques. It was those 16 different types of free-standing temples and 4 unique types of rock-cut shrines that emerged as the resultant of the experiments. The architectural experiment that began in Aihole also resulted in construction of Pattadakal temple complex, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

When in Aihole, ensure to visit this most popular heritage temple complex of Karnataka and the home to 120+ Chalukyan temples.

This place is a delightful heritage tourist destination in India, which has attracted not only architects but also historians and heritage lovers from all over the world. True to its tag, Aihole is the home to hundreds of Hindu temples and Jain & Buddhist shrines and each monument has a distinctly beautiful structure. The Hindu Monuments here include Durga temple complex, Ambigergudi temples complex, Triyambakeshvara temples group,Ravana Phadi cave, Hucchappayya gudi, Jyotirlinga temples complex, Hucchappayya matha, Mallikarjuna temples complex, Veniyar shrines complex, Kuntigudi complex, Galaganatha temples group, Ramalinga temples group, Maddin temples group, and many other Gudis. The Buddhist monastery here is a state-of-art, while the Jain cave temples Yoginarayana group and Charanthi matha group are dedicated to Mahavira, Neminatha, Parshvanatha, and other Jain Tirthankaras, exemplify exclusivity in Chalukya architecture.

The Chalukya architecture flourished in the 6th century and stands tall till date. The ASI has been doing a great job in maintaining these sites. The towns of Pattadakkal and Badami are also located nearby complementing the region as a canvas that showcases the marvel and grandeur of Chalukyan architecture era.