Kamal Basadi Jain Temple

Built within the walls of Belagavi Fort during the Ratta-Chalukya period around the 13th century, Kamal Basadi is dedicated to Neminatha, and takes its name — “kamal” meaning lotus — from the extraordinarily intricate lotus medallion carved into the ceiling of its mandapa. The multi-petalled, deeply undercut stonework is considered one of the finest surviving examples of this kind of ceiling carving from the Karnataka Jain tradition, comparable in technique to work found in Hoysala-era temples further south.

As one of the few Jain monuments to survive intact through Belagavi’s subsequent centuries of Bijapur and Maratha rule, the basadi offers a window into the region’s pre-Islamic religious life that is otherwise hard to find inside the fort. It remains under archaeological protection and continues to draw visitors for its ceiling carving alone.

Getting there: The basadi is inside the Belagavi Fort complex. The post office is close by within the city, near the fort.