Places to Visit in Gadag: Lakkundi, Dambal, Itagi & 12 Best Chalukya Sights

Hours: daytime | Where: Gadag town | Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hrs

The Trikuteshwara complex is the best-known monument in Gadag town. Its main shrine has three lingas in a line, for Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, and is a large, well-preserved Chalukya-era temple that sources date variously from the Rashtrakuta period to the early Kalyana Chalukya years. Right beside it is the Saraswati Temple, famed for its stone screens and ornate pillars in the style now called the Gadag style. Local accounts say the Saraswati image was damaged long ago, so no offerings are made there. There is also a well in the complex and a ruined Rameshwara temple close by.

Plan it: Start your Gadag day here, wear footwear that is easy to remove and look closely at the screens and pillars.

Hours: daytime | Where: Gadag town | Time needed: about 45 min

The Veeranarayana Temple is a large Vishnu temple in the Vijayanagara style, with origins traditionally traced to the 11th century. The poet Kumaravyasa, also known as Narayanappa, is said to have composed his Karnata Bharata Katha Manjari, the Kannada Mahabharata, here, and a Kumaravyasa Kalyanamantapa has been added in recent years.

Plan it: Combine it with the Trikuteshwara complex and the other town-centre temples by auto or on foot, and allow a little extra time if a ritual is under way.

Distance: about 12 km from Gadag | Museum: limited hours | Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hrs

Lakkundi, once called Lokkigundi, was a royal mint town of the Kalyana Chalukyas and still has dozens of ruined temples and stepwells scattered through the village. Start at the ASI site museum, which holds sculpture and inscriptions, then climb the steps behind it to the Brahma Jinalaya. Built in 1007 CE by Attimabbe, this Jain temple is the oldest of Lakkundi’s large temples and has a striking four-faced Brahma in its hall.

Plan it: Buy the small ASI ticket at the museum first, check its limited hours and closing days, and note that photography inside the museum is restricted.

Where: Lakkundi, within about 2 km of the museum | Hours: daytime | Time needed: about 1 hr

The Kashi Vishweshwara Temple, built in the 11th century, is regarded as the most ornate of the Lakkundi temples and is known for its double sanctum and carved pillars. The Nanneshwara Temple faces it across the road, and Kumbareshwara, Naganatha and other ASI-protected shrines lie within a short ride.

Plan it: Hire an auto in Lakkundi for the temple circuit, because the monuments are close but not in a single line.

Where: Lakkundi, on the Hospet road side | Hours: daytime | Time needed: about 45 min

The Manikeshwara Temple, a trikuta (three-shrined) temple dated to about 1160 CE, stands beside Musukina Bavi, a veiled stepwell with galleries around the water that shows these tanks were architecture rather than plain utilities. Lakkundi has many stepwells in all, and the Chateer Bavi and Kanne Bavi are also admired for their carving.

Plan it: Late afternoon light suits the stepwell. Entry onto the steps is sometimes barricaded for safety, so enjoy the view from the rail.

Distance: about 20 km from Gadag | Hours: daytime | Time needed: about 1 hr

The Doddabasappa Temple at Dambal dates to the 12th century and is built in soapstone on a 24-pointed stellate, or star-shaped, plan, which is unique among surviving temples in Karnataka. The star points are carried right up the tower, and you can see it rising above the village as you approach.

Plan it: Pair Dambal with Lakkundi, about 20 km apart, for a full day, and look closely at the porch pillars and the star-shaped wall.

Distance: about 35 km east of Gadag | District: Koppal | Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hrs

The Mahadeva Temple at Itagi (also spelled Ittagi), built about 1112 CE by the Chalukya commander Mahadeva, is called Devalaya Chakravarti, the Emperor among Temples, in its own inscription. It is protected by the ASI and has an open hall of about sixty pillars, shrines to Mahadeva’s parents, 13 small Shiva shrines, a pushkarni in front and a stepped well behind. Itagi lies in Koppal district but belongs on any Gadag circuit, and Hampi is about 64 km to the east.

Plan it: Ask for Itagi near Kukanur (Kuknoor), because another Itagi near Gajendragad has a Bhimambika temple and can confuse bus and auto drivers.

Best season: December to February | Distance: about 20 to 26 km from Gadag | Time needed: about 2 hrs

Magadi Kere in Shirahatti taluk was designated a Ramsar wetland in February 2023. The 54-hectare tank holds more than 165 bird species and is one of the largest wintering grounds for bar-headed geese in southern India, birds that fly in from Mongolia and Tibet and settle onto the lake in the early morning. The nearby Shetikere wetland draws large flocks of demoiselle cranes in good years.

Plan it: Reach the lake near sunrise, keep your distance from the birds and bring binoculars. Sources give 20 to 26 km from Gadag, so take the Gadag to Lakshmeshwar road and ask in Shirahatti.

Distance: about 55 km from Gadag | Hours: listed as 9 am to 3 pm | Time needed: about 1.5 hrs

Gajendragad Fort sits on the hills above the town of Gajendragad and is linked with the Marathas under Shivaji as well as earlier rulers. Karnataka Tourism lists its ramparts with wide views, watchtowers, the Kalakaleshwara Temple inside the fort and Shastri Lake nearby.

Plan it: Wear sturdy shoes, carry water and go early, since the listed hours end at 3 pm. Hire a local guide if you want the history of the tunnels and bastions.

Distance: about 22 km from Gadag | Hours: daytime | Time needed: about 1.5 hrs

Lakshmeshwar is a historic town known for its sculpture. Its Someshwara temple complex and Jain basadis, including the Ananthanatha Basadi, repay a short drive from Gadag for anyone who enjoys carved stone.

Plan it: Combine Lakshmeshwar with Magadi Kere, since both lie in the same direction from Gadag.

Distance: about 50 km from Gadag | Hours: daytime | Time needed: about 1 hr

Sudi has several Chalukya-era monuments, most notably a twin-towered Mallikarjuna temple, according to Karnataka Tourism.

Plan it: Treat Sudi as an add-on for architecture lovers with a vehicle and a spare half day. Facilities are basic.

Where: Betageri, Gadag’s twin town | Hours: usual shop hours | Time needed: about 1 hr

Betageri, Gadag’s twin town, is known for handloom weaving, and Gadag cotton sarees are valued for their durability, check patterns and contrasting borders. The district is also tied to the poet Kumaravyasa and to the Hindustani music tradition of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, and Gadag has a long history of printing presses.

Plan it: Visit weaver shops in the morning, ask before photographing looms and compare prices before you buy.