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Pattadkal, a World Heritage Center, is located on the left bank of the river Malprabha. Pattadkal is a charming village and earlier the place served as the second capital of the Chalukya empire, after Aihole. UNESCO has declared the ancient temples at Pattadkal as World Heritage Site. The remarkable temple structures of Pattadkal are a mixture of South Indian and North Indian temple design order. These glorious temples absorb basics of both the Dravida Vimana and the Nagara style of temple architectures. Some of the major temples at Pattadkal are Jambulinga, Kadasiddheswara and Galaganatha.
The leading temple at Pattadkal is the Virupaksha Temple. It was built by the Queen of Vikramaditya II, to commemorate his victory over the Pallavas of Kanchi. It contains very high standard of sculptures. The Papanatha Temple is one of the finest temples in Pattadkal village. The temple is decorated aesthetically and skillfully, and has a Nagara style Vimana. It has scenes from Ramayana, which gives its décor an added appeal. The inside hall of the temple is watched over by Nandi and Virbhadra and there are amazingly carved 16 pillars in the hall. Sangameswara Temple is considered as the oldest temple in Pattadkal. Vijayditya Saptasraya constructed it. Though the temple looks simple at a glance, but its gigantic construction shows a touch of exclusive stylishness. There is a Jain temple that dates back to the Rashtrakuta era.
Apart from that, the Government of Karnataka arranges the Pattadkal Dance Festival every year. This festival is one of the major annual events of the village, and it is worth visiting Pattadkal during the festival. The perfect time to visit Pattadkal is during October to February.
Tourists can reach here by bus or by train. Badami is the closest railhead to Pattadkal, which is approximately 24 km from this quiet village. Moreover, Pattadkal is linked by road to Badami and Aihole. There is a good network of buses from Aihole and Badami to Pattadkal.
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