Aihole

Aihole is a temple complex in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is a very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka. It lies to the east of Pattadakal, along the Malaprabha River, while Badami is to the west of both. Aihole is one of the most notable places in the history of art of Karnataka. It was a prominent city of the Chalukya Dynasty. It has been described as one of the cradles of temple architecture. The village has 125 temples divided into 22 groups by the archaeological department. Some of the prominent temples are given.
Durga Temple
The temple was built between the 7th and the 8th century by the dynasty of the Chalukyas. The Durga Temple is considered a unique and magnificent temple of the Chalukyan period. The most original feature of the temple is a peristyle delimiting an ambulatory around the temple itself and whose walls are covered with sculptures of different gods or goddesses. Two staircases provide access to the porch at the entrance of the temple itself. The sober and square pillars are decorated with characters around the porch and the entrance to the peristyle. The parapet is carved with niches and small animals. The porch gives access to rooms with pillars to get into the heart of the shrine .
Ravana Phadi Cave
The Cave is one of the oldest rock cut temples in Aihole. This temple dates back to the 6th century, with a rectangular shrine, with two mantapas. There is a Shivalinga in the inner room or sanctum sanctorum. The sanctum has a vestibule with a triple entrance and has carved pillars. The walls and sides of the temple are covered with large figures including dancing Shiva. Assigned to the sixth century, this rock-cut shrine has a fine figure of Nataraja dancing, surrounded by Saptamatrikas, all engraved in bold relief and in elegant styles.
Galaganatha Group Temples
Galaganatha group temples is one of nearly thirty temples on the bank of the Malaprabha River. The main shrine of the Galaganatha temple enshrining Shiva - Galaganatha has a curvilinear shikhara, and has images of Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance to this shrine. The Galaganatha shrine has a hall, interior passage and sanctum. The temple has been assigned to the 8th century.
Meguti Jain Temple
Meguti Jain temple stands on a hillock. A flight of steps leads to this temple. A flight of stairs leads to another shrine on the roof, directly above the main shrine. From the roof, one can have a panoramic view of the plain with a hundred temples or so. The temple which was possibly never completed gives important evidence of early development in dravidian style of architecture. The dated inscription found on the outer wall of the temple records the construction of the temple by Ravikeerthi, a scholar in the court of emperor Pulakeshi II.
Huchappayya Temple
The temple has a curvilinear tower (shikhara) over the sanctum. The interior of the temple has beautiful carvings. This temple has a mukhamantapa, a hall and the sanctum, adored with a Rekhanagara shikhara. There are several big square pillars in the porch and hall. This temple was constructed in about 8th century A.D.
The Lad Khan Temple
It was built in the 5th century by the kings of the Chalukya dynasty.The temple is named after a muslim prince who turned this temple into his residence for a short period. The temple was built in a Panchayatana style, indicating a very early experiment in temple construction. The special feature of this temple is that it starts with a rectangular structure and ends with a square structure. Based on a wooden construction design , the square and rectangular plan has a steep roof, which is an adaptation of wooden styles in stone.The maha mandapa is open to exterior by large windows between the pillars.