Situated
on the left bank of the Malaprabha river, Pattadakal a World Heritage
Centre has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture.The biggest temple here is dedicated to Virupaksha. Enclosed in a large quadrangle surrounded by small cells, it has a massive gateway and several inscriptions. Besides scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there is a wonderful carving designed to look like an elephant from one side and a buffalo from the other. In front of the temple is a majestic 2.6k metres high Nandi. In contrast to the pink - tinged sandstone temples, the Nandi is made of deep green stone and is covered in a red floral cape. The Virupaksha temples is still used for worship.
Stop
now at the Mallikarjuna and Papanatha temples delicately chiseled, rich
in detail. The inner hall of the Papanatha temple is guarded by Nandi
and Virabhadra. There are 16 pillars in the main hall with beautiful carvings.
