Place · Chalukyan goddess temple · India
Banashankari, Badami
Also known as Badami, Banashankari, Banashankari — Badami
The Chalukyan Shakti temple of Banashankari at Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, 5 kilometres from Badami Fort — the goddess temple on the old capital's edge, dedicated to Banashankari (a form of Durga worshipped as the goddess of the forest). The temple's foundation is traditional 7-century under the Chalukya king Jayasimha Varman; the current structure is 17-18th century Chalukya-Maratha composite. The temple's distinctive feature is its sacred Harihara Tirtha tank beside the shrine. The annual Banashankari Jatra fair each January-February is one of northern Karnataka's largest, drawing over 500,000 pilgrims. The adjacent Badami cave temple complex (6-century Chalukya) and the Pattadakal UNESCO temple complex (7-8th century) make Banashankari part of the Chalukya archaeological heritage zone of Bagalkot district.
- Function
- Sacred site & pilgrimage
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
- Location
- 15.897, 75.693
Connections (1)
- Site withinBadami
The Banashankari Devi temple sits within Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, 5 kilometres from the Badami Chalukya cave temple complex. The goddess temple's 7-century Chalukya foundation and 17-18 century Chalukya-Maratha composite structure make it part of the Badami temple-fort ensemble, with the Harihara Tirtha tank linking it to the broader Chalukya archaeological heritage zone that includes the Pattadakal UNESCO complex and the Aihole experimental temples.
Sources
Wikipedia, “Banashankari”. Archaeological Survey of India and State Archaeology monument records, and the standard regional literature.
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