Historical significance of Pattadakal Dance Festival

Pattadakal, a small village in Karnataka located on the bank of the Malaprabha River, is the site of some world-famous temples whose architecture depicts the architectural genius of India and the elaborate history of the country. Pattadakal, or locally called as Pattadakallu, is situated near Badami whichthe capital of the Chalukya Dynasty was once. It is now a world heritage site as declared by UNESCO and houses up to ten temples along with some Jain shrines. The temples, mostly dedicated to Lord Shiva, have mesmerizing structures that showcases both the North Indian i.e. the Nagara style and the South Indian i.e. the Dravidian style of architecture. They not only uphold the history of India, but it also depicts the social and cultural traditions of the country.

Pattadakal, which translate to “place of coronation”, was aptly named as it was where the Chalukyan kings were crowned. The temples at Pattadakal are considered to be monuments due to its rich history and magnificence. Each temple has its own origin story and a uniqueness that attracts people from all over the world. The details of the architecture of each of the temple provide an insight into the very way of life led by the people in the 7th and 8th centuries when it is said that the temples were created. While the temples are a place for worship, these temples become more of a tourist attraction due to its attractive architectural design.

The Pattadakal Dance Festival, or the Chalukya Dance Festival—due to its history as the place of coronation for the dynasty—is a festival that celebrates the grandeur of the temples at Pattadakal. Naturally it is held in the village of Pattadakal by the Government of Karnataka during the starting of each year i.e. in the month of January or February. The festival attracts people from all over the world, eager to participate as well as partake in the festive atmosphere as spectators. The festival has some of the famous classical dancers perform every year.

India with its rich history is a country that is famous for its diversity which is evident from the various religions and cultures prevalent in the country. One of the ways this cultural diversity is seen is through the architectural designs present all over the country. Pattadakal is one such place where the North and the South Indian styles of architecture blends to create a spectacular range of temples that can take away one’s breath.

Hence, so as not to lose the cultural history of the country, the Pattadakal Dance Festival brings it to mind with several traditional dance forms of India. The festival is a three-day affair that takes place towards the starting months of the year. Dancers from all over the world can participate in the festival and show their talent to the enthusiastic audience.

Since the dance festival is a celebration of the temples, the performances take place with the temples in the backdrop, creating an enchanting scene that stays with one even when the festival is over. Apart from the dance performances, there is also a craft fair organized as part of the Pattadakal Dance Festival. The craft fair boasts of local and traditional crafts, in a way helping to revive some of the traditional crafts that are either dead or on the brink of extinction. The audience can thus enjoy a variety of merchandize to buy from while partaking in the delightful performances.

As India is popular for encouraging the broad field of Art, mostly under the patronage of the various kings in the olden times, this festival also encourages not only the various traditional dances forms, but also the variety of other art forms. The artisans are motivated to have their stalls opened up at the fair where they can market their various crafts. People who come to see the dance performances have feel further excited and awed by the fair where they can buy anything they like and take it back as a souvenir of their wonderful experience of the festival.

Being an annual dance and cultural festival, the Pattadakal Dance Festival is viewed as one of the most sought after and awaited festival in India. It is considered to be one of the famous dance festivals of India. It tempts people from all over the world and from all walks of life to come and attend the festival, especially music, dance and art enthusiasts. People who love history can also come and enjoy the exuberant ambience all around the temples and other historical sites.

The Pattadakal Dance Festival is a festival of classical dance and music forms. Hence it has several performances of Bharatnatyam, the Kathakali, the Kuchipudi and many more such forms of dance. Each year, the festival garners more and more attention, attracting people with its bewitching dance performances and the merchantable crafts. Whether one participates or remains a spectator, he or she is sure to enjoy the festivity all around along with the magnificent history present at Pattadakal.

After the festival is over, people can still stay and savor the other historical and otherwise tourist attractions. One can explore the temples such as Virupaksha Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Sangameshvara Temple, Galganatha Temple, Kadasiddhesvara and Jambulingesvara temples, Kashivisvanatha Temple as well as the Jain shrines at leisure. Each temple has a beautiful overall architecture with detailed intricacies that seems mind bogglingly entrancing. Other interesting sites that one can visit are the monolithic stone pillar with the inscriptions, the engravings of Mahakuteshwara Temple and the Chandrashekar Temple. If one still has time to stay around, then they can visit Aihole nearby which is another historical place since it was one of the regional capitals of the Chalukya Dynasty and has some beautiful sights to see. One can also travel back to Badami which is another such place with some charming historic architecture.

There are three ways to reach Pattadakal- airways, railway and by road. If a person is coming by road, the highway 14 links Badami to Pattadakal which is only about 10 km away. One could take a flight to Bangalore from where they could reach Pattadakal on road. While a person traveling through train can get down at Badami, which is the nearest railway station and then come to the village by road.

This year, the Pattadakal Dance Festival was held in February and from the comments from the people who attended it, the festival was a success as every other year. The excitement for the next year’s Pattadakal Dance Festival is already scaling high. While the dancers are already preparing for their next performance at the festival, the people are looking forward to their dances with eagerness.