Cave 1 - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 1 km from Badami Bus Station, Cave 1 is a rock-cut cave situated in Badami, Karnataka. It is one of the must include places in Badami Tour Packages.

Badami Caves are carved out of a mighty red sandstone hill which is on the banks of Agasthya Lake. The first cave or Cave 1 is dedicated it Lord Shiva and it represents the Brahmanical style. Built in 550 AD, the cave has an L-shaped open courtyard in front, an open verandah, a pillared hall, and a sanctum excavated into the center of its rear wall. It is one of the places to visit in Badami.

The cave is famous for its fine sculptures. The most celebrated sculpture of the cave is that of Shiva as Nataraja with 18 arms and he is seen in 81 dancing postures of Bharata Natya. Another notable sculpture of the cave is Ardhanareeswara, a composite form of Shiva & Parvathi. On the other side is a large Harihara (a composite form of Shiva and Vishnu) along with their consorts of Parvathi & Lakshmi. Mahishasura Mardini is another stunning sculpture of the cave.

The ceiling of the verandah has a fine carving of five-hooded Nagaraja, king of snakes, flanked by charming celestial couples. The pillars in the center hall are finely carved in a round shape supported by wall brackets. The pillars depict the scenes from the marriage of Parvathi. There are carvings of several dream animals on the pillars of the verandah.

Timings: 9 AM to 5.30 PM

Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Indians, Rs. 100 for Foreigners