Situated in northern Karnataka, the quiet village of Badami is home to a series of ancient cave temples. Between the 6th and 7th centuries Badami was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They carved sacred spaces into the rust-coloured cliffs above Agstya Lake, and decorated the walls of these holy caves with bold, detailed reliefs of their deities. Rising out of the shimmering waters below the steps of the Bhutanatha temple complex, a cluster of sandstone shrines are devoted to this god.