History

The village of Aihole became prominent in the 4th century when it became the capital of the Chalukyan Empire that had power over most of southern India. This made it an important centre of commerce as the trade industry boomed. It also became a cultural and religious site for innovations in architechture and experiments. Structures during this time were built of a variety of items. Evidence found temples built of stone, intact where as the remanants of temples made of wood and bricks. Aihole became the cradle of new ideas as well as the fusion of many architechtural styles.

After the decline of the Chalukyas, Aihole became a part of the Rashtrkuta empire in the 12th century BC. Despite it not being a capital, or an important centre for the Rashtrkutans, it still continued to develop. Numerous Buddhist monestaries, Hindu and Jain temples were built. Inscriptions and texts were still an essential part of the Jain and Buddhist culture. Aihole conitnued to flourish with lots of surplus wealth despite a substantially large population.

In the 13th century, the wealth and prosperity of Aihole came before the eyes of the Delhi Sultante and thus, Aihole along with the other villages in Malaprabha valley and Deccan regions were raided and plundered. Aihole was devastated. In the 15th century, once again an ambitious empire, the Vijaynagar Empire took control of the region. It rose from the ashes of what was lost to the Delhi Sultanate and it seemed as though Aihole had hope again, but the Vijaynagar empire collapsed in the year 1565.

Now, Aihole was under the rule of Adil Shah, the ruler of Bijapur. The Muslim commanders of Adil Shah misused the temples by storing weaponry and army supplies. Furthermore, a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was renamed as the Lad Khan Temple after a Muslim Commander who used it as his operational hub. Once again, in the 17th century, Aurangzeb, the emporor of the great Mughal Empire of the northern India in his quest for territorial expansion came to the south and took over Aihole and the surrounding regions. But this did not last and Aihole fell into the hands of the Maratha Empire.

In the 18th century CE, when Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan defeated the Marathas, Aihole was neglected and Tipu Sultan focused more on the region of Mysore and it's development. Soon, the British colonial rulers annexed the regions goverened by Tipu Sultan and Aihole joined a very large part of India that had been conquered by the Britishers. Due to this political instablity, Aihole lost it's importance as a pivotal town. The place that was once where new ideas were kindled was now where the glory, gore and ghosts of the past were recalled.

Aihole gained independence and became a part of the Union of India in 1947.

Places to Visit Near Hospet