Cave temples, temples and caves in Badami

2008.01.11

Sikander, my guide for the day.

This carving was next to a tiny little shrine along the plateau walk.

This is part of the functioning but very old temple complex below. I can't remember the name of this place.

The heart of the temple complex.

Entrance to the famous cave temples in Badami.

The Swiss cyclist I just met.

I love days when you set out with a rough plan to see a few things and the unexpected takes over and you have a great day. My plan for this day was to visit the cave temples of Badami, walk over the plateau to another temple, to see the museum, oh and the temple ruins on top of the boulders above the town.

On my way to the Museum - which was closed - which was just below the temple ruins perched on the boulders, I met a young man. He was friendly but nice and spoke English quite well so I let him come along with me. Although after a while, I asked him if he wanted money. He said "no" but at the end of the day he did ask for money. First he asked for something like $400 to set himself up in business with an internet cafe. "You've got to be kidding!" I gave him 200rupees. He'd been good company and a good guide for the most part.

Then we set off across the plateau to see an old temple that was still in use. There were a lot of people out collecting firewood and as it was a well known path, other people also on their way to the temple. There were some delightful small cave sculptures to see first and a small pool in which S. took a dip and invited me in. "Not bloody likely!" The beasts have probably been doing stuff in it and anyway, its a bit small and I was never much into swimming in puddles." He aslo asked me - very politely - for a kiss, like this "X, can I have one kiss please?" "Oh brother!" I am old enough to be his mother, after all, although large age differences don't bother many people these days, do they? He apologised profusely and we moved on.

The temple when we arrived was busy with people who'd arrived mainly by bus and auto. It was very old too but not yet a museum piece. The pool was full of boys. A drunk was discovered in the temple complex and chased out by a lot of angry youths slapping him and yelling at him. It was an ugly scene and we left.

Waiting for a share autorickshaw to leave, we got chatted up by a bunch of charming school children. The other women in the rickshaw wanted to give me a gift of bangles when we arrived back at Badami finally. Fortunately for me, the bangles were too small and I could refuse without embarassing anyone. (Bangles are uncomfortable.)

I went along on my own to visit the main cave temples. On my way out there was the bizarre and hilarious spectacle of a troupe of monkeys on top of some school buses ransacking the luggage.

On my way in I had met another cyclist, the first since I'd started my trip. We agreed to have dinner together later that evening and on the advice of LP ended up in a private booth in a gloomy restaurant. Back to my hotel we went to get woozy on a few beers in the courtyard restaurant where a fight almost broke out between my hotel manager and another guest. Oh dear!

And getting some good advice on bike maintenance from the Swiss, I went to bed happy, tipsy and exhausted.

wonderful colors...

sendao · 2008-04-04: 21:13