Banantigudi, Mahakuta

The Banantigudi is a 6th-century Hindu temple in Mahakuta village. It stands about 500 feet southeast from the group of twenty Mahakuta temples near Badami. It is thus a bit isolated, but notable because it is one of the oldest surviving Dravida-style stone temples in upper South India region.

The Bananti temple is a simple two level (dvitala) square plan temple carved from fine red sandstone. The door frames, however, echoes north Indian style. The architecture seems to have been inspired by wooden Hindu temples that likely thrived before 6th-century. Its ancient profile has led several scholars to link it to the famous king Pulakesi (c. 550 CE) and to the Mahakuta pillar. A few scholars disagree and date it even earlier, to 5th-century (pre-Pulakesi). 

The Banantigudi was badly damaged in 15th-century like rest of Mahakuta group. The mithuna (amorous) figures have been defaced. Some ruins found here suggest this may have been a Hindu goddess temple. The inscriptions found nearby are now in Bijapur Museum.

The simplicity of mid 6th-century Banantigudi and intricate sophistication of early 7th-century Mahakuta temples attest to very rapid rate of temple architecture innovations in Chalukya era. A similar rapid pace of innovative creativity is exemplified by the beautiful Hindu and Jain temples in Aihole and Badami nearby.

15.931694 N, 75.722500 E

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