Begum Hazrat Mahal was a Muslim ruler of Awadh, India well- known forher bravery in taking control of ‘Awadh’ after he husband was exiled by the British empire. She rebelled against the british east india company during the Indian mutiny of 1857. Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 1820 – 7 April 1879), also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh , and the regent of Awadh in 1857–1858.
Early life
No concrete data is available about the childhood of Begam hasrat mahal.She was born in 1820 at Faizabad, the former capital of Oudh State.
She was known by the name Muhammadi khanum in the earlier part of her life and was brought up as a dancing girl by her parents, who then sold her to the royal Palace- harem of the ruler of Awadh.
Her life in the palace of Awadh began as a ‘khawasin’ (maid), and later promoted as ‘pari’ (fairy). Later she became the concubine of the nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah. During that relationship with nawab she gave birth to a son, Birjis qadar, the tajdaar-e-Awadh. The nawab married her, to make the son his legitimate heir, and then named her Begam Hazrat Mahal, the name with which she is known to history of India.
The British East India company annexed Awadh in February of 1856, in its conquest of Indian states and annexation to British empire. As per the contract with East India company Nawab of Awadh agreed to be pensioned off to Calcutta and begam was not part of that entourage. Begam Hazrat Mahal was left in Awadh and she decided to fight for her rights in Awadh remaining with people of the land.she made her son, Prince Birjis Qadr, the ruler of Awadh, with herself as regent during his minority.
In 1857 the sepoy mutiny erupted due to the prolonged resentment and intolerance with the reign of East India company among Indian soldiers. Its repercussions echoed in Awadh too.
Begam Hazrat Mahal and her people made an army against the British East India company and decided to fight. She rebelled against the forces of the British under the leadership of Raja Jailal Singh; they seized control of Lucknow and she took power as the guardian of her minor son, Prince Birjis Qadr, whom she had declared as the ruler.
As regent, she automatically came to have a leadership role in the rebellion against the British.
Begam Hazrat Mahal took control of affairs as her son’s regent of Awadh and fought relentlessly for ten months against the British. She was praised by many people of her time, ranging from the ordinary citizen of Awadh to the Mughal emperor – Bahadur shah jafar for her courage and exemplary rule.
Hazrat Mahal worked in association with Nana saheb, but later joined the Maulavi of faizabad in the attack on Shahjahanpur.
A few British accounts of the battle of Musa bagh in Lucknow, testify that the begum was personally present in the battle ground, fighting and rallying the 9,000 rebels there. She was found in the war field riding an elephant during the battle as well.
But It was difficult to stand against the mighty British for long for a small state like Awadh. She had to withdraw herself in front of the fire power and strategic help of other regions to British. However, she was not ready to surrender to the British army and live in exile.
At the end of the war begam rejected the pension and mercy of British throne. She slipped out of Lucknow to the Himalayan belt fighting with the army and sought refuge in Nepal. She lived in Nepal till her last breath with no wealth left. Yet she was not ready to surrender to British throne even in those adverse circumstances. When she died in Nepal in 1879, it was very difficult to find money even for a grave for the people around her.
Begum Hazrat Mahal’s tomb is located in the central part of Kathmandu near Jama Masjid, Ghantaghar,
She will be remembered in the history of India for the exemplary courage with which she fought against British army and later preferring an ordinary life rejecting their agreement of pension by surrendering.
After her death, on the occasion of the jubilee of Queen of England (1887), the British Government pardoned her son Birjis Qadr and he was allowed to return to India.
Memorials & honours
On 15 August 1962, Begam Hazrat Mahal was honoured at the Old Victoria Park in Hazratganj, Lucknow for her role in the Great mutiny in 1857. The renaming of the park to Begam Hazrat mahal park in her honour took place in this year and also a marble memorial was constructed, which includes a marble tablet with four round brass plaques bearing the coat of arms of the Awadh royal family.
A scholarship is given in her name through Maulana azad foundation to meritorious Girls belonging to minority communities by the government of India.
The Badami cave temples are a complex of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Badami, an ancient heritage town in the Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. This is an instance of rock cut temple built in Chalukya architectural style
.
History & geographical location
The Badami cave temples are located about 142 km east of Belagavi and 140 km northwest of Hampi.
Badami a heritage town, was previously known as “Vataapi”, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty. Chalukyas ruled a significant portion of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th century. Badami is situated on the west bank of a man-made lake Agastya Teertha ringed by an earthen wall with stone steps. In this serene heritage town, you can feel the footsteps of history in the vestiges and artefacts centuries have left behind.
It is surrounded on the north and south by forts built during Early Chalukya reign and in later times. The Malaprabha River is flowing silently [4.8 km away) through this pilgrim land of ancient architectural marvels. The journey to Badami cave temples will definitely provide you an enthralling and delightful experience transporting into another period of time.
The UNESCO world heritage site Pattadakal [23km]and Aihole – another site with over a hundred ancient and early medieval era Hindu, Jain and Buddhist monuments[ 35km] are close to Badami.
The Badami temple complex has principally 4 caves. The first three caves feature sculptures of Hindu gods and legends focusing on Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons and themes.
It is believed that the cave temples are built in the late 6th century onwards. The exact dating is known only for Cave 3, which is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
An inscription found here records the dedication of the shrine by Mangalesha in Saka 500 (solar calendar, 578/579 CE). The inscription is written in the old Kannada language and it denotes the dating of these rock cave temples to the 6th century. This makes the cave 3 temple of Badami as the oldest firmly-dated Hindu cave temple in India.
Architecture of Badami cave temples
The temple is built on a rocky terrain in red sandstone and here you can explore the Chalukya architectural style.The Badami rock temple caves include 4 caves, all in the escarpment of the hill in soft Badami sandstone formation, to the south-east of the town.
The complex includes four caves principally, although a few caves are also located in the premises. Around the lake, Badami has additional caves and one of them is believed to be a Buddhist cave. Another Cave like gallery known as Arali Tirtha has around twenty-seven carvings.
Four cave temples in the escarpment of the hill to the south-east of the town were carved into the cliff’s monolithic stone face. The escarpment is above a man-made lake called Agastya Teertha, created by an earthen dam faced with stone steps.
The largest and highest cave is Cave 3 in the complex and it is situated further to the east on the northern face of the hill. The fourth cave, Cave 4, is a few steps down further east. The cave has fine carvings exhibiting matured stage of Karnataka ancient art. Cave 4 is dedicated to revered figures of Jainism.
The artwork in Caves 1 and 2 exhibit the northern Deccan style of the 6th and 7th centuries, while those in Cave 3 represent two ancient Indian artistic traditions; the northern Nagara and the southern Dravida styles.Cave 3 also shows icons and reliefs in the so-called Vesara style, a fusion of ideas from the two styles, as well as some of the earliest surviving historical examples in Karnataka of yantra-chakra motifs (geometric symbolism) and colored fresco paintings.
Cave 1 is a Hindu temple and here you can find various sculptures of Hindu divinities and themes along with a prominent carving of the dancing Shiva as Nataraja. Cave 2 goes in the same architectural line of cave 1 in its layout and dimensions, featuring Hindu subjects of which the Hari Hara, Ardhanari shiva, Mahishamardini, Dwi Bahu Ganesha and Skanda in a separate antechamber on extended cave at western side-next to great Nataraja sculpture. The Cave 2 also has premier images of Vishnu as Trivikrama and it is the largest.
The largest cave, Cave 3, featuring Vishnu as Ananta seated on coiled serpent, Varaha with Bhudevi, Harihara, Narasimha in standing posture, great image of Trivikrama and Virata Vishnu.
which Alice Boner – a Swiss art historian and Indologist, states is a time division symbolizing the cosmic wheel.
The Badami cave temples- Interior architecture &themes
Cave I of Badami :
Nataraja Carving is the significant feature of this cave. The cave depicts the Tandava-dancing Shiva as Nataraja on the rock face to the right of entrance. The image, 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, has 18 arms (9 in left and 9 on right) in a form that expresses the dance position (about 9×9=81 combinations in total) arranged in a geometric pattern. The eighteen arms express Natya mudras (symbolic hand gestures), with some holding objects such as drums, a flame torch, a serpent, a trident and an axe.
Shiva has his son Ganesha and the bull Nandi by his side.
The wall depicts the goddess Durga of Shaktism tradition slaying the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. The carvings and its accuracy show that sculptors who built this cave temple were very proficient in the Natya mudras of Bharatanatya dance form.
Mahisasura Mardini Carving
On the right side of the Nataraja carving is a carving of Mahishasura mardini with Chaturbhuja (Chatur means 4, Bhuja means hands). The sculpture depicts the killing of the demon Mahishasura by godess Durga. According to legends and myths Mahishasura, a demon was the son of Mahisi and great grandson of Bhahmarishi Kashyapa.
On the left of the entrance is a two-handed Shaiva dvarapala who holds a trident, and below him is a bull-elephant fused image where they share a head; seen from left it is an elephant and from right a bull.
Harihara Carving
Inside the veranda, the cave depicts a carved sculpture of Harihara, a 7.75-foot (2.36 m) high sculpture of a fused image that is half-Shiva and half-Vishnu. He is flanked by the goddesses Parvati and Lakshmi on each side.
Ardhanareshwara Carving
To the right, toward the end of the wall, is a relief sculpture of Ardhanarishvara, a fused image of Shiva and his consort Parvati. One half of the image has Shiva with a moon on his mukuta (head), snakes in his hands, earrings and next to the half that represents Parvati is an attendant carrying a tray of jewels.
It delineates the vision of the Chalukya kings delivering message to the Chalukya citizens about gender equality.
On the ceiling of this cave are images of the Vidyadhara couples as well as couples in courtship and erotic Mithuna scenes.
Through a cleft in the back wall of the cave is a square sanctuary with more carved images.
In the mantapa is a seated Nandi facing the garbha ghruha (sacrum sanctum) containing a Shiva linga.
Cave 2 of Badami
Cave 2 is above and to the east of Cave 1 and faces north. It was built in late 6th or early 7th century. It is smaller than Cave 1 and it is dedicated primarily to Lod Vishnu. It depicts the legend of Vishnu in his Trivikrama form.
Inside the temple are friezes showing stories from Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana. These show the legend of cosmic ocean churning (Samudra Manthan) and Krishna’s birth and flute playing indicating the theological and cultural significance of these in 7th century India.
The ceiling and door head carvings show Gajalakshmi, the swastika symbols, flying couples, Brahma, Vishnu.
The ceiling of Cave 2 shows a wheel with sixteen fish spokes in a square frame. The end bays have a flying couple and Vishnu on Garuda.
Cave3 of Badami
Cave 3 is considered as the earliest dated Hindu temple in the Deccan region. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it is the largest cave in the complex.
The cave is facing north, 60 steps from Cave 2 at a higher level. The cave is 15 feet (4.6 m) high; it is supported by six pillars, each measuring 2.5 square feet (0.23 m2). It has intricately carved friezes and giant figures of Trivikrama, Anantasayana, Vasudeva, Varaha, Harihara and Narasimha.
This temple is built in Vaishnavite theme; however, it also shows Harihara on its southern wall – half Vishnu and half Shiva shown fused as one.
Cave 3 also shows fresco paintings on the ceiling, some of which are faded and broken. These are among the earliest known surviving evidence of fresco painting in Indian art.
The Hindu god Brahma is portrayed on Hamsa vahana in one of the mural paintings. The wedding of Shiva and Parvati, attended by various Hindu deities is depicted in another painting.
Cave 4 of Badami
The cave 4 is located immediately adjacent to and east of Cave 3. The floor is situated about 10 feet lower and is the smallest of the four caves of this land. It is dedicated to Tirthankaras, the revered figures of Jainism.
It was constructed after the first three, sponsored by Hindu kings in later part of the 7th-century. Some scholars are of the view that this cave may have been created in the 8th century.
Also it has been proposed that some embellishments seems to be added in the subsequent centuries until about the 11th or 12th century.
Cave 4 shows detailed carvings and a diverse range of motifs. The cave has a five-bayed entrance with four square columns – each with brackets and capitals. To the back of this verandah is a hall with two standalone and two joined pillars
Inside the cave are major carvings of Bahubali, Parshvanatha and Mahavira with symbolic display of other Tirthankaras.
Bahubali is standing in Kayotsarga meditating posture with vines wrapped around his leg, his classic iconography. Parshvanatha is shown with the five-headed cobra hood.
Mahavira is represented sitting on a lion throne.
Other carvings include Indrabhuti Gautama covered by four snakes, Brahmi and Sundari.
In the sanctum is an image of Mahavira resting on a pedestal containing a 12th-century Kannada inscription marking the death of one Jakkave. Twenty-four small Jaina Tirthankara images are engraved on the inner pillars and walls. In addition there are idols of Yakshas, Yakshis and Padmavati.
Other unnamed caves of Badami
Apart from the numbered 4 main caves of Badami, this land has a few other centuries old caves with statues and carvings. History sleeps in this land of temples which is believed to be built in medieval era. On the other side of the lake, near the Bhutanatha temple, there is a 7th-8th century Chalukya period cave with a carved statue seated over a sculpted throne with reliefs showing people holding chauris (fans), a Pipal tree, elephants, and lions in an attacking pose.
According to colonial-era texts of John Murray – a Jainism scholar & missionary in British India, the main image carved in this Cave is that of a Jaina figure. However, it has been contradicted by archeologists Henry Cousens and A. Sundara and their views have been buttressed by local legends, which proposes that the statue is of an ancient king. Because in a photograph of the statue taken before its face was damaged, the figure lacked the Ushnisha lump that typically found with Buddha’s image.
The statue has several unusual, non-Buddha ornaments such as rings for fingers, a necklace, and a chest-band; it wears a Hindu Yajnopavita thread and its head is stylistically closer to a Jina head than a Buddha’s head. These features point out that the statue may be of a king represented with features of various traditions. There are no clear-cut evidence regarding the century of construction of this main statue.
Adjacent to the controversial cave are other monuments belonging to the ancient centuries. One of them is a small shrine consisting of a 7th-century rock carving of Anantashayana Vishnu, or reclining Vishnu with Lakshmi and Garuda in namaste posture.
In 2013, Manjunath Sullolli, Assistant Director of Bagalkot district working for the state government of Karnataka, reported the discovery of another cave with 27 rock carvings, about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the four main caves.
Water gushes from this newly discovered cave year-round. It depicts Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and features an inscription in the Devanagari script. The dating of these carvings also is unknown.
Best time to visit Badamicaves
November to February is the best season to visit. The weather is fine cool and and clear. Other months are less recommended as scorching summer or Monsoon rain may make it difficult to travel and explore.
Internet Connectivity
BSNL or Cell one connectivity is available
How to reach Badami ?
The nearest airports to Badami in Karnataka are Hubli and Belgam. Hubli is connected to Banglore and Mumbai airports.
From Hubli cabs are available to Badami[105km].
From Belgam to Badami [150km]
Badami is connected to other cities by bus.
For international travelers
Flight to Banglore and train to Badami [447km]-7 hours 51 minutes
Flight to Pune airport[Mumbai] and then train to Badami[470km] 9 hours 28 min
Flight to Hyderabad [Andrapradesh]airport and train to Badami.[420km] 9 hours 32 min
References
1.Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami- Pattadakalhttps://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5972
