Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Ancient · Hindu · India

Mahakuta group of temples

ಮಹಾಕೂಟ

Mahakuta, Badami, Karnataka · 15.9328°, 75.7217°

Mahakuteshvara (Shiva)Badami ChalukyaEarly Vesara
Sacred since
500 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
6th-7th c. (Badami Chalukya)
Badami Chalukya

History & significance

A Shaiva monastic complex of early Chalukya shrines gathered round the spring-fed Vishnu Pushkarni tank near Badami. The Mahakuta pillar inscription of 595-602 CE records a queen's grant of ten villages, Pattadakal and Aihole among them, and a later inscription of Vinapoti, a consort of King Vijayaditya, records gifts of rubies and silver; the shrines mix dravida tiered towers with nagara curvilinear ones in an early experiment towards vesara.

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Related sites

Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, Mahanandi
Mahanandi, Nandyal · India
7th c. (Badami Chalukya); additions 10th and 15th c.
Alampur Navabrahma Temples
Alampur · India
7th-9th c. (Badami Chalukya)

Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Badami Chalukya