Badami was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. It was founded in 540 A.D. by Pulakesi I(535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirthivarman (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha I(598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples. The greatest among them was Pulakeshi II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including Pallava king Mahendra Verman I and extended the kingdom.

The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.

The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarman I (also called Mamalla Pallava) seized it in 642 A.D. Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 A.D. and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas. The Rashtrakutas absorped the karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. The later Chalukyas of Kalyani defeated them and were able to keep region from 973 A.D. to 1189 A.D., when it was occupied by the Hoysalas.

It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.

The temperature ranges from minimum 23 degrees to 45 degrees during summer and from 15 to 29 degrees in winter. The rainfall of the area is 50 centimeters. Best time to visit is between low humid season from November and March.The cool climate has made it a safe haven for the monkeys of south india.

Tourists often flock to Bamadi for the opportunity to see monkeys interact in a natural environment. There are even glass enclosures in trees , called Glass Baristas, where one can sit and have a meal while monkeys interact right beyond the glass.

Economy of badami is based on tourism in karnataka. People from around the world come and visit karnataka as well as badami all throughout the year thus enriching the economy of Badami.

Having a varied landscape, Badami is quite rich in flora and fauna. The Sahyadris in the state of Karnataka are the most important area as far as the flora of state is concerned. Some of the highlights of the vegetation of this state are the white Mallika, the golden Champaka, the red rose, and the purple Padari. Apart from these, there are trees of Mangoes, Teak and Sandalwood found on the eastern slopes.The rich and dense forests of Sahyadris are home to majestic animals like the elephant and the lion. Apart from them, you can also find a number of other animals like the tiger, the panther, the leopard, sambar, deer, wild pig, bison, bears and hare. Birds are also found in abundant, specially the national bird of the country, Peacock.