Pattadakal is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka famous for its group of monuments that comprise of initial experiments in Hindu temple architecture. The uniqueness of this place derives from the presence of both the Dravidian or the Southern and the Nagara or the Northern (Indo-Aryan) styles of temple architecture.
Pattadakal was the capital of the Chalukya dynasty of Southern India, who built the temples in the seventh and eighth centuries. There are nine temples as well as a Jain sanctuary. The best known is the Virupaksha temple, built by Queen Lokamahadevi c. 740 to commemorate her husband's victory over the kingdom to the south. Other temples include Mallikarjuna and Papanatha.
The group of mounuments in Pattadakal was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.
