En rout to Badami is a quaint hamlet taking
its name from the goddess Banashankari Built in Dravidian
style , the temple is dedicated to Banshankari , a form
of Parvati highly received by Weaver community . The idol
depicts the powerful eight - armed goddess seated on a snarling
Lion . There is a large pond in front of the temple called
Harida Theerta , which is enclosed on three sides by stone
mantapas with inner colonnades . The annual temple festival
in Banasankari is more than a religious event . During this
time the street around the temple are taken over by a huge
fair , marked by color and gaiety and attended by thousands
of devotees
Mahakuta ( 14 Kms )
Once a great center of Shaiva cult Mahakuta
is surrounded by hills The Mahakuteswara Temple dedicated
to Shiva is built in Dravidian Style and features a natural
spring called Vishnu Pushkarni . The temple is surrounded
by several small shrines with a wealth of carving on their
walls . There are also a few Shiva Temples in Mahakuta dating
back to the Chalukyan era.
