Aihole, Karnataka · 16.0207°, 75.8819°
The most photographed monument of Aihole — the 'cradle of Indian temple architecture' with 120+ experimental shrines — its apsidal buddhist-chaitya-like plan wrapped in a pillared veranda of superb sculpture. Despite the name it was never a Durga temple: 'Durga' here means fort, from the bastion it adjoined.
Aihole's own name is folk-tied to Parashurama, who washed his axe in the Malaprabha here crying 'Ayyo, hole!' ('Ah, the river!') as it ran red.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chalukya (Badami)