Cave Temples at Badami

This is where I spent most of my time. There's a complex of three man-made cave temples and one natural cave temple, all in close proximity to each other. The complex is about a kilometer from the hotel, and almost right next to the town of Badami.

The three man made caves have Hindu temples and the natural cave is a Buddhist one.

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This is a set of steps that you're apparenty not supposed to go up. After I started climbing them, the local guards came and got me to come down. There's another entrance and you need to pay a Rs. 100 entrance fee.

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The first temple.

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Wide-angle view of the first temple.

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The left side of the first temple's entrance.

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Sculptures inside the first temple.

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Looking out from the first temple.

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Inside the first temple.

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The first temple viewed from the steps leading to the second one.

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A rock with a bunch of holes carved in it on the steps from the first to second temples.

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Monkeys. There's a lot of them here, all over the rocks around the temples, and in the town itself too.

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A view out from the second temple. As you can see, there's temples all over the place here.

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A close up of the far wall seen from the second temple.

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The second temple.

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Closeup of the sculptures on the right of the front on the second temple.

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Left side closeup.

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Sculptures inside the second temple.

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The ceiling in one of the rooms.

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Another ceiling tile.

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Looking at the back room of the second temple.

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Inside the second temple.

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The back room -- empty.

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More ceiling tiles

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A view of the city from the second temple. You can see the entrance to the complex below.

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The steps leading to the platform in front of the third temple.

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The tree seen on the left in the previous picture.

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The town viewed from the third temple.

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A little canyon with a barred gate, just above the second temple. This leads to an old fort.

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The gate.

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A tree next to the gate.

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The gate again. I think the fort is visible in the background.

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A sculpture on the right of the entrance to the third temple. I think this is the dancing Shiva in 81 positions.

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Well-worn stone near the entrance.

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Sculptures inside the third temple, on the right side.

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Pillars next to the previous picture.

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A view to the right from the third temple. The steps you see lead over to the fourth temple.

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A sculpture on the left side of the entrance of the third temple.

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Sculpture to the right of the one in the previous picture.

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A sculpture to the left of the previous two pictures. Steps to the fourth temple are in the background on the left.

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Looking toward the back room of the third temple.

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Pillars in the third temple.

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Looking from right to left in the front section of the third temple.

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You can barely see text carved into this wall.

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View from left to right in the third temple. These women asked me to take their picture.

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Looking out of the left side of the third temple. That hole leads down steps to the second temple.

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Stones in the corner of the front of the third temple. This is the back-right corner when viewed looking out from the temple.

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The front of the third temple. This is the largest of all the temples.

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Looking at the lake from the third temple. The platform in view is in front of the fourth temple.

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Rocks between the third and fourth temples.

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A close up of a temple on the opposite side of the lake viewed from the third temple.

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A hive clinging to the rock face above the third temple.

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Rocks between the third and fourth temples.

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The wall that separates the fourth and third temples, seen facing the third temple (on the other side of that wall).

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A Buddha carved in the wall on the right of the fourth temple.

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The fourth temple.

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Sculptures inside the fourth temple.

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The view of the back wall of the fourth temple. The door to the inner sanctum is on the right.

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Looking through the doorway to the inner sanctum.

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The Buddha in the back room.

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The town viewed from the fourth temple.

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The view going down from the third temple's porch to the steps to the second temple.

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Same view as before, just closer.

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A nearby building seen from the third temple.

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Monkeys. The one on the left seems to be doing a medical exam on the other one. The back of its right hand is on the other monkey's neck, and the other hand is feeling around on its belly.

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More monkeys. These are the steps looking down from the second temple to the first. In the background you can see the entrance to the complex, where the grass is.

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