Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
KSTDC tourist office
( 220414; Ramdurg Rd; 10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat)
, adjoining Hotel Mayura
Chalukya, has a brochures on Badami, but otherwise is not useful.
SBI and Axis have ATMs on the main road.
Internet is available at
Hotel Rajsangam
(Station Rd; per hr ?20)
in the town centre.
Getting There & Away
Buses regularly shuffle off from Badami's bus stand on Station Rd to Kerur (?20, 45
minutes), which has connections to Bijapur and Hubli. Three buses go direct to Hospet
(?180, six hours).
By train, the 7.30am
Bijapur Express
runs to Bijapur (sleeper/2nd class ?120/39, 3½
hours), while the 11am
Hubli Express
goes to Hubli (2nd class ?120, 3½ hours). For
Bengaluru, take the 8pm
Gol Gumbaz Express
(2nd class ?244, 13 hours).
Getting Around
Frequent, on-time local buses make sightseeing in the area quite affordable. You can visit
Aihole and Pattadakal in a day from Badami if you get moving early. Start with Aihole
(?37, one hour) departing at 7.45am, then move to Pattadakal (?15, 30 minutes), and fi-
nally return to Badami (?18, one hour). The last bus from Pattadakal to Badami is at 5pm.
Take food with you.
Taxis/autorickshaws cost around ?1000/600 for a day trip to Pattadakal, Aihole and
nearby Mahakuta. Badami's hotels can arrange taxis.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Around Badami
There's no accommodation or restaurants at either Pattadakal or Aihole.
Pattadakal
A secondary capital of the Badami Chalukyas, Pattadakal is known for its group of
temples
(Indian/foreigner ?10/250, video camera ?25; 6am-6pm)
, which are collectively a World Heritage
Site. Barring a few temples that date back to the 3rd century AD, most others in the group
were built during the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Historians believe Pattadakal served as an
