Pattadakal Dance Festival

01 January 2023 - 02 January 2023

Dance & Music

Pattadakkal Temple, Karnataka

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History
Places to visit
How to reach

Pattadakal Dance Festival is an effort to revive and keep alive the culture of Pattadakal which is ages old heritage of India. Celebrated in the month of January, the Pattadakal Dance Festival is organized by the Government of Karnataka. The venue of the festival is the village of Pattadakal, situated at a distance of 20 km (approx) from Badami city in Karnataka.

Located on the left bank of the Malaprabha River, the village has quite a history attached to it. It was once the second capital of the Chalukyan kings. And even today, this village has the distinction of being one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Distinguished dancers from all over Karnataka, in fact, the whole country, come to participate in this festival. Apart from these dances, another major attraction of the Pattadakal Dance Festival is the craft Mela that is organized here.

For the uninitiated, Pattadakal is a small village in Karnataka. It is famous for the Pattadakal Complex which consists of a huge number of Hindu and Jain temples that were built during the 7th and 8th centuries. This was the time of Chalukya emperors. The temples are the amalgamation of north and south architectural styles.

These temples were built in both the Nagara Architecture style of the south and the Dravidian architecture style of the south region. The carvings and other works show the true Indian culture and heritage.

History of Pattadakal Dance Festival

Pattadakal was essentially a coronation place where the kings were crowned. The coronation ceremony was a matter of great cultural extravaganza which used to be accompanied by classical music and dance to allure the king. The Pattadakal Dance Festival is also known by the name Chalukya Dance Festival as it was the ruling region for Chalukya Dynasty.

Major Attractions of Pattadakal Festival

1. Kathakali

Kathak is a classical Indian dance form that originated in the Northern region of India. It is one of Karnataka's famous dance forms. It's a bit similar to other classical and regional dance forms of India such as Bharatnatyam of South India and Odissi of East India. At the Pattadakal Complex, several renowned Kathak artists can be seen performing.

2. Kuchipudi

The Kuchipudi dance form originated in the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the eleven classical dance forms of India. Kuchipudi is also considered as a storytelling dance form where dancers show several gestures that depict a particular story.

3. Bharatnatyam

It is one of the important classical dances of Karnataka. The dance form was originated in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and majorly expresses south Indian culture and heritage which is mainly driven by Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.

4. Carnatic Music

One can explore Carnatic Music which is practiced in southern states of India such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Carnatic music includes melodious compositions such as Varnam and Kriti.

5. Craft Mela

Crafts Mela is another significant event that is organized during the Pattadakal Dance Festival. The crafts Mela includes the exhibition of our dying art such as Rogan Painting and Mithil Painting that have got world recognition.

How to Reach Pattadakal

Pattadakal is a historical destination with its roots connected to the Chalukyan empire. It is located at a distance of 1,769, 603, 2,102, 453 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Here is how you can reach here by the following means of transportation.

By Air

The nearest airport is the Hubli Airport (HBX). It is located at a distance of 150 km from Patadakkal via NH52. This airport is known for serving both the cities of Hubli and Dharwad. Considered as the 3rd busiest airport in Karnataka a great number of locals and foreign nationals use this airport for travelling to their respective destinations. It was in 2013, that the Government of India had signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to build this airport.

After deboarding at the airport, you will need to take a cab or some other means of public transportation like a bus to reach your destination.

Here is how you can reach here via flights.

Delhi - Board SpiceJet, IndiGo, Vistara flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airfares start from Rs.5,000
Bengaluru - Board IndiGo, Air India flights from Bengaluru Airport. The airfares start from Rs.2,000
Pune - Board IndiGo, Vistara, Air India flights from Pune. The airfares start from Rs.3,000
Mysore - Board IndiGo, Air India flights from Mysore. The airfares start from Rs.3,000-Rs.4,000
Vijayawada - Board IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet flights from Vijayawada Airport. The airfares start from Rs.4,000

By Rail

There is no direct railway connectivity to Pattadakal. Thus, to reach here by train, you will need to deboard at the Badami train station. This railway station falls under the Hubli Railway Division of the southwestern railway. After deboarding at the railway station, you will need to cover the remaining distance by some means of public transportation.

Here is how you can reach here.

Pune - Board CSMT GADAG EXP from Pune Junction and deboard at the Badami Junction
Mangalore - Board MAJN BJP EXPRESS from Mangalore Junction and deboard at the Badami Junction
Hyderabad - Board SC UBL Express from Secunderabad Junction and deboard at the Badami Junction

By Road

Pattadakal is very well connected by road network to other Indian cities. Depending upon your location, you can easily travel here either by your own vehicle, cab, or bus.

From Vijayawada, the bus fares start from Rs.750. From Pune, the bus fares start from Rs.700-Rs.800. From Nashik, the bus fares start from Rs.1,500.

Here is how you can reach here by the following routes.