ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHALUKYAS

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHALUKYAS

The Chalukyan kings were great patrons of art and letters. Much of the paintings and sculptures of the Ajanta and Ellora caves were completed during their reign. The Chalukyan style of temple architecture equated with the vesara (also, Karnataka) style is seen as an admixture of the Dravida and Nagara styles of temple architecture. Like the Dravida style, the Chalukyan style of temples has two principal components­the vimana and the mandappa, joined by an antarala. But the covered ambulatory around the sanctum is absent. Rathn offsets break up the exterior walls in Nagara fashion but these walls are further spaced at regular intervals by pilaster after the Dravida fashion. The temples are characterised by plastic ornamentation on their external surfaces and intricately carved pillars, ceilings and door frames. Famous temples include the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal, near Badami, the Vishnu temple of Badami, the Siva temple of Maguti and the Kashi Visveswara temple of Lakhundi.

The Chalukyan kings patronised learning and literature also. The famous scholars of their time include Bilhana, a Sanskrit writer of works such as Vikramankadeva-chnrita and the poem, Chaurapanchnsika, and Vijnanesvara who wrote the Mitaksara.