Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal Circuit
I
f you are planning to do the Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal circuit, plan it well in advance so that you are comfortably placed with hotel bookings and transport tie-ups. You need to decide on which temples to look at too!In case you are travelling by bus or in your private vehicle from Bijapur in the north by road, you could choose either the Bagalkot route or the Kerur route. From there onwards Aihole and Pattadakal will be only another 50 Km away. You could easily seek local bus service from Badami or take a hired auto rickshaw or taxi to move ahead. Costs are reasonable and availability is great!
Please keep in mind that you might find getting a night lodge quite hard in both the small villages of Aihole and Pattadakal, so you should catch up on your sleep overnight at Badami. In fact even in the morning when you wake up at Badami, you could consider keeping this your base station to finish the rest of your tour! In case you wish to move onto Pattadakal from Badami, you will find it is only half an hour away. A little ahead from there and you will reach Aihole in another 20 minutes. Alternatively, you could also gain entry into Badami from Hubli, Gadag or Hospet in the south.
You third option of getting into Badami is if you come via a small detour of Hampi. From there you could hitch a bus ride to Ilkal from Hospet and proceed to Badami. Ilkal is on the Bijapur highway. After this, change over to Badami. Else, you can consider going to Gadag and boarding a bus to Badami. Whichever option you try, you should reserve a good 4 to 6 hours. Keep some buffers for delays in the bus commencing its journey for logistic issues. You will spend close to 4 hours travelling between Hospet and Badami. Safest option is to board KSRTC buses. There are in plenty that ply between Badami with Bangalore. You can rely on the railway station at Badami since Pattadakal does not have one of its own.
Bakkhali is a tiny seaside resort located in South Twenty Four Parganas (24 Parganas) in West Bengal.
A calm ocean and a serene beach with waves gently crashing at your feet. That is Bakkhali for you. It is located on one of the many islands that form part of the Sunderban delta.Fraserganj which is a major town in Bakkhali is now forming one continuous town with Bakkkhali.The two places are linked by a stretch of pristine beach. The beach of Bakkhali is hard and hence ideal for driving, cycling and going for long walks.
Frasergunj which forms part of Bakkhali is named after Andrew Fraser who was the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. He is said to have discovered the place when he accidentally landed here after a shipwreck.
A very unique thing in Bakkhali is the windmills of Frasergunj. These generate power for the town and are visible from all around. Fishing is the primary occupation of this place and you can see fishing nets and dried fish all around. Bakkhali has not yet been touched by the evils of urbanization and this has helped it to retain its idyllic charm. The beach is the most beautiful thing in Bakkhali. A walk down the beach in the early mornings and at sunset is an amazing experience. To see the sun set over the ocean is a sight that has to be seen to experience. The rickshaw van is the only means of local transport available. You can take a ride on the rickshaw to the watch tower. From this tower you can view the entire expanse of the Sunderbans. It is quite a view with the green expanse of the Sunderbans on one side and the sea on the other.
When in Bakkhali you can take a ride in the bhut-bhuti, a crude motor boat to Jambudwip. This is an uninhabited island out in the sea. You can also visit Henrys Island. This is a ten minute ride from Bakkhali and you can go there in a rickshaw van.Sundari and Mangrove are the two rest houses on the island and are owned by the State Fisheries department.
It is advisable to stay there only during winters since the place is without electricity and the heat and mosquitoes are enough to drive you insane. If you are looking for some more fun then you could also make a trip to the crocodile farm and mangrove forest by the Bakkhali bus stop. Entry fee is very nominal. The Bisalakshi temple at the end of the beach is also worth a visit. You could hire a rickshaw van to take you around all these places. It is a fun ride as the van takes you through the village roads and lanes.
Bakkhali can be accessed by road or rail. The nearest railway station is Namkhana. There are regular trains from Sealdah to Namkhana. From Namkhana you cross a small creek by boat to reach the bus stand from where you can get a bus to Bakkhali.
You can also get to Bakkhali from Kolkata by a WBSTC bus that leaves from Esplanade bus terminus. It takes around five hours to reach Bakkhali by bus. There are many hotels in Bakkhali which offer good rooms at moderate prices.
Bakkhali is a tiny seaside resort located in South Twenty Four Parganas (24 Parganas) in West Bengal.
Bakkhali
A calm ocean and a serene beach with waves gently crashing at your feet. That is Bakkhali for you. It is located on one of the many islands that form part of the Sunderban delta.Fraserganj which is a major town in Bakkhali is now forming one continuous town with Bakkkhali.The two places are linked by a stretch of pristine beach. The beach of Bakkhali is hard and hence ideal for driving, cycling and going for long walks. Frasergunj which forms part of Bakkhali is named after Andrew Fraser who was the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. He is said to have discovered the place when he accidentally landed here after a shipwreck. A very unique thing in Bakkhali is the windmills of Frasergunj. These generate power for the town and are visible from all around. Fishing is the primary occupation of this place and you can see fishing nets and dried fish all around. Bakkhali has not yet been touched by the evils of urbanization and this has helped it to retain its idyllic charm. The beach is the most beautiful thing in Bakkhali. A walk down the beach in the early mornings and at sunset is an amazing experience. To see the sun set over the ocean is a sight that has to be seen to experience. The rickshaw van is the only means of local transport available. You can take a ride on the rickshaw to the watch tower. From this tower you can view the entire expanse of the Sunderbans. It is quite a view with the green expanse of the Sunderbans on one side and the sea on the other. When in Bakkhali you can take a ride in the bhut-bhuti, a crude motor boat to Jambudwip. This is an uninhabited island out in the sea. You can also visit Henrys Island. This is a ten minute ride from Bakkhali and you can go there in a rickshaw van.Sundari and Mangrove are the two rest houses on the island and are owned by the State Fisheries department. It is advisable to stay there only during winters since the place is without electricity and the heat and mosquitoes are enough to drive you insane. If you are looking for some more fun then you could also make a trip to the crocodile farm and mangrove forest by the Bakkhali bus stop. Entry fee is very nominal. The Bisalakshi temple at the end of the beach is also worth a visit. You could hire a rickshaw van to take you around all these places. It is a fun ride as the van takes you through the village roads and lanes. Bakkhali can be accessed by road or rail. The nearest railway station is Namkhana. There are regular trains from Sealdah to Namkhana. From Namkhana you cross a small creek by boat to reach the bus stand from where you can get a bus to Bakkhali. You can also get to Bakkhali from Kolkata by a WBSTC bus that leaves from Esplanade bus terminus. It takes around five hours to reach Bakkhali by bus. There are many hotels in Bakkhali which offer good rooms at moderate prices.Train connections for Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal
Badami , located about 22 km (14 miles) southwest of Pattadakal is the nearest railway station for Pattadakal. Badami (Station Code:BDM ) itself is on the less busy Solapur-Gadag route. This means, there are not many long distance trains connect Badami directly with other metro cities in the region. However there are a few convenient express and local train connections for Badami.
Chalukya Dynasty
The history of Chalukyas is a bit complicated with controversies and ambiguities ; and often riddled with myths and legends. Complicated, because there were many dynasties ( to be specific three ) shared the name Chalukya. Before going further into this, let's first see where was this Chalukya Empire, as it is often referred, existed in India. Those of you with an understanding of the India's geography , imagine the Indian heartland bordered by two rivers - Narmada in the north and Kaveri in the south. Well, what lies between these two rivers was practically the span of Chalukyan Empire at its peak.