Monday, March 31, 2008

Aihole

Aihole is a glorious part of India and a trip to this great center of medieval Indian art and architecture would make you aware of a great heritage. Aihole is situated on the banks of the river Malaprabha. The cave temple of Ravana Phadi stands all by itself backed against the rocky hill out of which it has been carved. Plan your trip to Aihole and fix your date with history.

All across Karnataka, invaders, conquerors and dynasties have come and gone. They have left their imprint on the land, its people and their folkways. Nowhere is this more evident than at Aihole in Northern Karnataka.

The Chalukya Dynasty was founded by Pulakesin I, or the Great Lion, in AD 543. In all likelihood, his family was feudatories of the earlier Kadamba dynasty before they declared their independence from their former lords.

This period saw the construction of great architectural wonders not only at Aihole but the whole region including Badami, Pattadakal, and other places. Its own district officers, the Rashtrakutas in AD 757, ousted the early Chalukya dynasty. Later on, Aihole became a part of the Bahmani and other local Muslim dynasties. In the 17th century, Aurangzeb annexed the Deccan and made it a part of the Mughal Empire and Aihole, as a part of that region, came under the Mughal rule.

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