ಬನಶಂಕರಿ ಅಮ್ಮನ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ
Devi (Banashankari / Shakambari) temple · Cholachagudda, Badami, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India
Banashankari Temple, at Cholachagudda in the Tilakaaranya forest near Badami, Bagalkot district, Karnataka, is a Hindu temple to the goddess Shakambari, also known as Banashankari, regarded as an incarnation of Durga, the Deccan Herald notes.
Faith & Tradition
The Chalukya rulers worshipped the goddess as their clan deity, and she is particularly venerated by the Devanga weaver community. The sanctum holds a black stone image of the eight-armed goddess in fierce (ugra) form, seated on a lion and crushing a demon underfoot (Deccan Herald). The Padma Purana and Skanda Purana refer to the goddess slaying the demon Durgamasura here.
The temple's annual car festival is linked to the month-long Banashankari jatre, held every year from the full moon of the Kannada month of Pushya, which draws devotees from Karnataka and Maharashtra and is as much a cultural fair as a religious event, The Hindu reported. The Bagalkot district administration lists the festival in January–February.
Heritage
The temple's origins are uncertain: popular belief credits the Chalukyas with building it in the seventh century, while the structure has been altered over many centuries (Deccan Herald). According to historian Sheelkant Pattar, quoted by The Hindu, the old temple dates from the Rashtrakuta period and the present one was built in 1750 by the Maratha chieftain Parusharam Agale.
The temple is enclosed by high walls and has a portico, entrance porch and a sanctum topped by a tower. In front lies the Haridra (Harishchandra) Tirtha, a stone-walled tank about 360 feet square with mantapas on three sides, and a victory tower topped by a deepa sthambha (Deccan Herald).
Plan Your Visit
The jatre period brings very large crowds; confirm festival dates locally.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with the temple administration before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
A month-long fair linked to the temple's car festival (The Hindu; Bagalkot district).
Location
The temple is near Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka.
Location: Cholachagudda, Badami, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India
More in Hindu temples in Karnataka · Devi (Banashankari / Shakambari) temples
Questions
At Cholachagudda near Badami, Bagalkot district, Karnataka.
The goddess Shakambari, regarded as an incarnation of Durga and the clan deity of the Chalukyas.
For a month from the full moon of Pushya, in January–February.
Its origins are uncertain; one historian dates the present structure to 1750.
The temple's large stone-walled tank, about 360 feet square.
Further reading: Banashankari Temple, Badami on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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