Temples in Aihole
- 01
Chakra Gudi
A temple that keeps a 7th or 8th-century northern-style tower, with a later hall added in the 9th century under the Rashtrakutas.
- Time needed
- 15–20 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 02
Durga Temple
Aihole's best-known monument: a late Early Chalukya temple with a rounded rear, a deep pillared corridor around the sanctum and some of the finest carved panels in the village.
- Time needed
- About 45–60 minutes, plus the museum
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Early morning or the last hour before closing; November to February for comfort
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 03
Galaganatha Group of Temples
More than thirty temples and monuments on the Malaprabha riverbank, about 2.5 km south of the Durga complex, dating from the 7th to the 12th century.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 04
Gaudar Gudi
A plain, open-sided temple with roof slabs shaped like logs, thought by some scholars to be older than Lad Khan. It is quiet and rewards slow looking.
- Time needed
- 15–20 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 05
Hucchimalli Gudi
A small temple linked by a 708 CE inscription with early Aihole. It is known for an intricate carving of the war god Kartikeya and is easy to reach on foot.
- Time needed
- 15–25 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 06
Huchappayya Matha
A 7th-century Shiva temple with a former monastery about a kilometre south of the Durga complex, known for carved couples on its pillars and carved gods on the ceiling.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 07
Lad Khan Temple
A squat, square temple with an open pillared hall, stone lattice windows and a steeply pitched roof that imitates a timber building. It is one of the oldest-looking structures in Aihole.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon, when side light picks out the pillars
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 08
Mallikarjuna Temple Complex
A group of five Hindu monuments, with the main temple dated to around 700 CE, known for pillars carved with Narasimha, dancers, musicians and couples.
- Time needed
- 20–25 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 09
Meguti Hill Buddhist Temple
Aihole's only Buddhist monument: a partly rock-cut, two-storey temple of the late 6th century on Meguti hill, with a seated Buddha under a parasol on the upper level.
- Time needed
- 15–25 minutes
- Walking
- Demanding
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 10
Meguti Jain Temple
A ruined Jain temple on the hill above Aihole, dated to 634 CE by an inscription that praises the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II. The views over the village are the reward for the climb.
- Time needed
- 45–60 minutes including the climb
- Walking
- Demanding
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon; avoid midday sun on the hilltop
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
- 11
Ravanaphadi Cave
A 6th-century rock-cut Shiva shrine with some of the best sculpture in Aihole: a dancing Shiva, Ardhanarishvara, the Seven Mothers and a cosmic Varaha, all carved straight into the hillside.
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes
- Walking
- Moderate
- Best time
- Morning light helps; avoid the heat of midday
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
Museums in Aihole
- 12
Aihole Museum and Art Gallery
A small Archaeological Survey of India museum inside the Durga temple complex, with sculpture from Aihole's temples, including a life-size Lajja Gauri from the 7th century.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Any time; useful at midday when it is hot
- Tickets
- The site is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Entry fees, timings and camera rules change, so check them on the official ASI or Karnataka tourism pages before you travel; one government tourism listing gives 6 am to 6 pm, but confirm on the day.
