Mallikarjuna Temple

Within the Bhootanatha temple cluster by the beautiful Agastya Lake of Badami lies the elegantly designed Mallikarjuna Temple. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple, along with smaller shrines built around it, was constructed in a star-shaped plan in the 11th century. Its structure is the representative of the Chalukyan architectural influence seen on a majority of the historical buildings in this heritage town.

Built in the Phamsana style, with tiered pyramids forming the greater part of the structures, these temples are assumed to have been constructed during the era of the Rashtrakutas and Kalyani Chalukyas. The outer walls of the temple are uncarved, smooth rock surfaces. The tower of the inner sanctum is built in the typical Rashtrakuta style of architecture. The main shrine has a pillared chief mandapa or hall, an enclosed middle mandapa followed by the inner sanctum. The inner walls and pillars are smooth and plain, with angled eaves across the roof of the halls. The shrines are topped up by pyramid-shaped superstructures made of closely spaced horizontal tiers. Outside the temple clusters lies the charming blue-green Agastya Lake, with a glorious sight of the massive rocky hills of Badami at its flanks.