Aihole

Aihole in Karnataka, India, was the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty and is regarded as the cradle of Indian temple architecture. The site contains over 125 Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist temples built between the 6th and 12th centuries. Chalukya artisans experimented with 16 types of free-standing temples and 4 rock-cut shrine styles here, producing prototypes that influenced temple design across peninsular India. Aihole is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list alongside nearby Badami.