Untold Badami

The marvels of Indian architecture has some of the larger land marks with cave temples. One such series are in the northern Karnataka region. 

We are told very less about these in the books, the history is thought without proper information. While preparing the posters for #SamskritaBharati's Vishwa Samskrita Sammelanam - Nov 2019, I was working on the famous places of Karnataka and came across Badami. Though studied a paragraph or two on this place in our texts books, this seems to be an underrated place in the world map. A series of 5 cave temples, for Shivas, Vaishnavas and also Jains make this place unique with larger than average human size statues on caves with beautiful carvings and eroded paintings.

While most of the structures are damaged by the Mughal invaders in the past, we can still see how strong they are and wonder how the men in 7th century or earlier could have made such marvels in the caves that are both natural and man made.

Looking at one of the images on the website, I was destined to go to the place and pre-planned this as a got to go place in my list.

These places were places of worship, but were destroyed by certain invaders. However, they still remain places of worship only difference is that we are not allowed to worship the gods/install them here, as the Government of Karnataka, and the Government of Karnataka only consider these as places of historical importance and revenue as these are taken by Archaeological Society of India. This does not mean that all places under ASI are meant only for display. e.g. there is a working mosque in the campus of Taj Mahal (which also is a wonder in the world), even in Badami, right at the foot of the cliffs there are working mosques, i even heard calls 3 times while I was still silently watching the marvellous structure and wondering how to improve the place and not let it to be destroyed by the shits of Bats and monkeys around the area.

While visiting each cave, I had ensured that the footwear is left behind - one step that we can start with - this is still in place at the tomb that ASI owns (I meant Taj) as well. However, in such a cooler temple, were we go barefoot even if it is too hot, I saw fellow people coming in with all kinds of footwear. It is not that there is no enough space to leave footwear outside, but that is not mandatory as there is no worship in the form of Pooja done in these cave temples. 

Here, I would not like to blame the Government organisation, as they did not realise the importance of such a place. They were built, not to be shown to a group of children who come in visit in batches, and do not even know that there are lessons of a bird feeding on a worm, how it finds a spot on earth, taps it, takes a worm, eats/swallows it and look for another - its on a pillar in the first cave if you had missed just discover it.

For the ones who are interested to study the behavior of birds before they mate, you may find it on another, and once the eggs are hatched, how they feed is on another one - come-on, its 6th or 7th century observations that were documented by the sculptors. 

I also see the local guides, explaining Krishna leela, which cold be clearly seen as boys and girls dancing, and another tourist saying that "ye dance to pehele se tha kya" (was this dancing there even in earlier times) common - we know that Bharatanaatya was the dance form that Lord shiva performed, and there were gopas ad gopikaas dancing around Krishna (as there is scientific proof for presence of Dwaraka that is submerged in water, it is conclusive that Krishna existed and his stories are true, only confusion is on the earlier timeline). The guides also confused me as he pointed a clearly distinctive Vishnu and said it is Shiva(though in Advaita there is no difference, the forms have proper names). 

We could go ahead, get proper names kept in front of each or even put a reference information nearby with full details on what to see and what is available, or in order to ensure the guide's life is not spoilt, educate them to give proper information and test them now and then. 

Some of the older still running temples have better explanation by Archakas that are gaining knowledge from their forefathers and transferring the same in the exact form as sthala puranas.

I could also see that there are inscriptions on the wall by certain people (it could be the sculptor/inscriber/even the king/ruler of Chalukya) who had historical facts on the rocks, which have also been in the verge of erosion as the people unaware of its importance are rubbing their oily hands or the bats are peeing in the stinky liquid over them.

The Ministry of Culture and Religion should take necessary actions to reclaim the temples to ensure there are necessary worship of the gods and the places are kept better.

ASI should ensure that not only taking photographs of the region and protect the place, but also ensure to bring out the detailed information and put them easily visible to the public.

I also appreciate their efforts on brining pseudo-restructured pillars and other supporting, however, I also see that instead of keeping idols and artifacts in museum, try to put them back to the right places, and ensure that each place which could have held any idol will have some information on what they were.

LBNTL, I would say, this is better place than Taj in architecture, even if it was destroyed by the Moghal invaders.