Chandravali caves, Chitradurga

Chandravalli is an ancient landmark which is situated in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. It is a valley formed by three hills - Chitradurga Kirabanakallu and Jolagudda. Chandravalli which has a meaning moon shaped was formerly known as Chandanavati. It is the name credited to the king as this place was once ruled by Chandrahasa.

There is a cave temple here called Chandravalli cave temple which is also known as Ankali Mutt. It got the name Ankali Mutt because saints from Ankalagi (Belagum) came here for meditation. This temple is in moon like curved shape and is located between two large single stones. There is a lake here and adds importance to the cave temple. The forest around the lake is a good place for bird watching.

History

At Chandravalli there is a rock inscription (script written on the rock) of the first Kannada dynasty Kadambas founder Mayurasharma found in the Bhairaweshwara temple. Chandravalli is the first capital city of Kadamba dynasty.Historians found painted pottery and coins from the pre-historic and Shatavahana period. Chandravalli was first brought to light by R. Narasimhachar, the director of department of Archaeology and Museums of the Mysore state.

How To Reach

Chitradurga Bus stand is the nearest stop to this caves with a distance of around 2.9 KM. You can reach the caves by taking a local taxi or a auto rickshaw from the bus stand.