Soon after breakfast, we set off to see the Saat Kabar or 60 graves. In actual fact, there are 63 graves. 63 graves of the wives of Afzal Khan, a general of the Bijapur Sultanate who was tasked to kill the Maratha leader Shivaji. Before he left to meet Shivaji at Pratapgargh, Afzal Khan had a premonition that he would die in battle. He decided to kill his wives, all 64 of them, so that they wouldn’t marry anyone else upon his death. The unsuspecting women were killed and buried in what is now known as Saat Kabar. But there are only 63 women buried here. The 64th wife managed to escape and run away but she was tracked down and killed too.
be Once upon a time this graveyard was on the outskirts of the town but now with expansion, this historic site is almost part of the city.
It is not very easily accessible though it is very well cordoned off by the ASI. But apart from the mandatory sign warning people not to desecrate the site.
We had actually wanted to visit the graveyard the evening before but one of us who had visited the graveyard during an earlier visit said that seeing it in the fading light was a bad idea. Badly maintained and with poor access, it was a haunting and spooky sight. So we saw it in broad daylight.
It still was scary though, and deeply disturbing to see the graves lying unattended.
Onward to Solapur
On the way to Solapur we came across some sugar cane farmers who were protesting against sugar prices.
The three hours went by really fast as our tour leader ( my sister-in law) organised a quiz for all of us.At Solapur we had a leisurely lunch which we had at Priti Dining Home. Once again, it was a simple, unpretentious place, where we had local food.
We had a sweet peanut and jaggery filled chapati, ( shenga poli) a bhel like dish called Sushila, as we were intrigued by the name, some puri bhaji and sabudana wadas.
it had a heap of signs aoniahing people not to share a thali, to keep the toilet clean etc.
Dal Puri BhajiShenga PoliSushila
We had a quick meal of some typical local dishes and set of for the stationtk catch the train home.
On our way back from Aihole we couldn’t help discussing Raju’s interpretation of why the horse-faced woman was so made. Frankly the thought of drinking a horse’s semen as a cure for alcohlism is revolting enough to put anyone off alcohol for life.
At Aihole my sister in law introduced us to a local sweet called Karadant. This north Karnataka specialty is perfect for winter.
Vijaya is famous for Karadant
Made out of dry fruit, gum and jaggery we enjoyed munching it on the way to our next stop – lunch at a typical Lingayat Khanavali at Kudal Sangama- the confluence of the two rivers Krishna and Ghataprabha.
Lingayat’s are a sect within Hinduism and Kudal Sangam is very special for them. With pilgrims coming from all over the world at the oddest of times, this home-style, unpretentious eatery is open all round the clock. It serves food that is truly farm to table .The fenugreek leaves that were served as an accompanient to the greens, were so fresh and tender without a trace of bitterness. The buttermilk and paper thin jowar rotis were simply unbelievable.
After such a sumptuous meal we made our way back to Bijapur for the last night.
Ilkal saris and sweetmeats.
Even though I don’t wear saris everyday, I love looking at them. Our Indian textiles are so vibrant and varied with each part of the country offering different wares.
We took the local rickshaws to the market whichwqa chockablock with people.
Flowers, spices, jewellery and saris. You could buy all these and more in this busy bazar.
As the shopkeepers rolled out one sari after the other, it was hard to choose which one to buy .
Ilkal
Handwoven in a small town by the same name, these saris are mesmerising. The sheer simplicity and timelessness of this design brings out an earthiness that we all possess.
Having sampled the Karadant at Aihole, we had to take some back home . So after a visit to the spice shop where we could order freshly ground customised spice mixes, we ordered the sweets to be delivered to the hotel.
And that night we slept well, satisfied that we had seen everything we wanted to see save one monument that we had left for the last.
Aihole, Raju told us, was a temple town that got its name when Parshuram saw the river and exclaimed “Ai Hole” ( Oh River) as he washed his bloody sword in its waters, turning it red.
By the time we reached Aihole, our heads were swimming with tales from Hindu scriptures, the Panchantra and the history of the Chalukya dynasty.. Galagnath Temple easily became Galangal, and the temples of Jambulinga and Sangameshwar became almost indistinguishable.
The Durg Temple at Aihole
The sleepy little town of Aihole looked more like an overgrown village with tourism as the major activity. As we approached the site, we could see houses built around the temple ruins. Apparently, this was the condition of the temples at Pattasakal, too at one time, pointed out Raju. Soon, he said, these villagers of Aihole would be rehabilitated and the temples restored to their original state, just as they were in Pattadakal, to create another UNESCO-worthy site.
As seen by the board, there are at least 100 temples in this area. Since the original idols were long missing, the temples, it was hard to identify and name them. So, the excavators/archeologists named them after the inhabitants of each temple. Hence, a temple structure inhabited by a mad woman was called Madwoman temple! And another temple was called Lad Khan temple after a Muslim Army commander who was living there.
Just beyond the wall you can see a village, the likes of which were once around this temple complexThe group of temples that we gave a miss. The temple with stones that look like logs was the Lad Khan Temple.
Unfortunately, none of us could spare more than 4 days on a trip so this being to our last day, it was a bit of a rushed visit to Aihole. Besides, the sun was pretty high. And some of us were beginning to get roasted. Moreover, we had to get back to Bijapur for the night.
The Durga temple which incidentally, is the most most visited, is unique for several reasons. First off, it is not named after the Goddess Durga but is so called because it is a Fort ( Durga) temple!
Secondly, it is made in a Buddhist style in a horseshoe shape.
The structure of the Durga Temple
The first or lowest row was for the common man, the second for courtiers and officials while the third or topmost one was for royalty. This had comfortable sofa like seating to relax on.
Lastly, it doesn’t have an idol.
A fair bit of the temple was covered by mud as can be seen from the photo below. The figures beneath the inscription were underground and some of the figures were damaged during the excavation.
The lower part of the plinth was excavated The outer corridor
As with all temples, it was essential to have a water body to bathe in before a temple visit so a step well was built alongside.
The step well that is currently filled with stagnant water
Several beautiful carvings embellish the walls of the temple.
The 8 aremed Shiva relaxing with his hand on NandiThe statue of Vishnu as HarihareshwarVishnu and Laxmi flying on their garuda
On the ceiling
The 7 headed snake with a human headVishnu in Matsya Avatar on the ceiling
Doorway
Exquisitely carved figures of the river Ganga the entrance. Similar figures representing Yamuna are on the other side of the doorway.A flying garuda on the doorwayA frieze with continuous swastikaVishnu as Varaha holding BhoodeviVishnu as Narsimha An outlet for water from the inner sanctorumParvati as mahishasurmardiniAn empty niche
Multipurpose
According to Raju, the temple served as more than a place of worship. It was a multi-purpose hall of sorts which served many purposes.
For instance at the entrance the four pillars are like an interior designer’s catalogue of sorts, with each pillar showing the kind of embellishment that can be provided by the craftsmen .
For instance, this pillar shows a very basic design with the circle devoid of any decoration. This pillar shows more decoratio This pillar shows more complex designs
Life lessons
The temple, Raju explained to us was a microcosm of social life. Through the stories of the Panchatantra, and the legends associated with gods and goddesses, this was also a place for learning life skills and life’s lessons. For instance, he said pointing out to a carving of an amorous couple, he said that newly wed couples were went to the temple to learn about ‘intimacy’!
An amorous couple
But when it came to explaining the horse faced woman below, he got all hot and flustered. According to him the horse symbolised power like the Ashwamedha Yagna conducted by kings of yore, hence the lady with the horse-face in the photo below.
This according to Raju was a horse-faced woman who was teaching a prostitute her trade
Then he mumbled something about the horse’s semen, which was collected and given to alcoholics to cure them of their addiction.
Noting our puzzlement, he got even more enthused and muttered something else about Ashwagandha which he said was a horse’s sweat which was given to people to boost their immunity and virility.
The gooseberry that fell down Sumo wrestlers of their time A couple with their baby
It was really hot by the time we finished seeing the Durg temple so we didn’t even venture across the lawns to see the group of temples that were so near and yet so far.
Perhaps, if we had started earlier or if the sky had been overcast as it had been the previous day, we would have seen them and even more temples that lay beyond.
For it seems that there were more gems to see by the riverside. The river that gave the town its name ‘Ai hole! ‘
Ciao
For a detailed account of the temples at Aihole, please visit the two sites mentioned below.
Twenty- five Seven 