What to expect
Highlights
- The early flat-roofed, hall-like plan with stone-lattice windows.
- The small shrine and Nandi within the hall.
- Its place in the story of early temple architecture.
Lad Khan Temple
The Lad Khan temple is one of the earliest experimental temples at Aihole — a low, flat-roofed pillared hall of the 5th to 7th centuries that borrowed its plan from timber assembly-halls.
Practical guide
Plan Lad Khan Temple
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Before you go to Lad Khan Temple
Entry rules not verified for this temple. Some Hindu temples admit only Hindus, and most enforce a dress code at the door. We have not verified the rule for this particular temple, so please check before you travel — especially if you are not Hindu or are visiting from outside India.
We report each site's own published rules neutrally, and only where we can source them.
Typetemple
Nearest baseAihole
DistrictBagalkot
Best timeOctober to February
Time needed20 to 30 minutes
EntryCovered by the Aihole ASI ticket
Places to visit3→It takes its name from a Muslim named Lad Khan who once lodged in it, and is a keystone monument in understanding how the Indian stone temple first took shape.
Getting there
How to visit
- Within the Durga temple complex at Aihole — visit it on the same ASI ticket.
- Reached from Badami or Pattadakal by bus or taxi.
Distance by road
- Vijayapura55 km
- Hubballi130 km
- Belagavi160 km
- Kalaburagi230 km
- Bengaluru460 km
Road km to Bagalkot; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.
Timing
Best time
October to February; mornings are cool and quiet.
Weather in Lad Khan TempleSeasonal guide
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Today at Lad Khan Temple
Sunrise6:14 am
Sunset6:38 pm
Golden hour best light5:38 pm–6:38 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:38 pm–7:03 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 278°
Moon tonight🌗 Last quarter · 55%
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Karnataka. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.
Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.
Visitor notes
- A fragile early monument — tread carefully and do not sit on or climb the stonework.
Photos
Lad Khan Temple in pictures
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Top experiences around Aihole
2 more places around Aihole, each worth a day of its own.
templeDurga Temple, Aihole
110 m · 1 min walk
The most celebrated temple of Aihole — an apsidal, gallery-wrapped 7th- to 8th-century shrine (its name comes from the durga, or fort, beside it, not the goddess) whose carved niches of Durga, Vishnu, Shiva and Harihara are landmarks of early Chalukyan sculpture.
museumAihole Archaeological Museum
170 m · 2 min walk
The ASI museum beside the Durga temple complex, displaying Chalukyan sculpture, hero-stones and inscriptions gathered from Aihole’s 120-odd temples — a useful orientation to the "cradle of Indian temple architecture".
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Lad Khan Temple — at a glance
Timings8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Best timeOctober to February; mornings
Entry: Covered by the Aihole ASI ticket
Getting here
How to reach Lad Khan Temple
Within the Durga temple complex at Aihole
Getting back
Work out your return before you settle in for the sunset. Public transport here thins out sharply in the evening, and Lad Khan Temple is easier to reach than to leave. We do not publish departure times: there is no official live feed we are permitted to republish, and a wrong time here would strand you. Check the operator directly on the day.
- KSRTC — the Karnataka state bus operator; route and schedule enquiries. Online booking.
- Indian Railways — live running and seat availability for the nearest railhead, named under “Getting here” above.
Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.
Getting around Lad Khan Temple
We have not assessed physical access at this place yet. Across India, step-free routes, handrails and accessible toilets are the exception rather than the rule, and pavements are often interrupted — if step-free access matters to you, contact the site or a local operator before committing to the trip.
If you need help at Lad Khan Temple
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).100Police101Fire108Ambulance (emergency / EMS)1091Women’s helpline (distress)1098Child helpline1363Tourist helpline (India, 24×7, multilingual)
Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.
Nearby
What’s near Lad Khan Temple
On the map
Where Lad Khan Temple is
Good to know
Lad Khan Temple — frequently asked
When is the best time to visit Lad Khan Temple?
October to February; mornings are cool and quiet.
What are the entry fee and timings at Lad Khan Temple?
Entry: Covered by the Aihole ASI ticket. Timings: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM.
How do I reach Lad Khan Temple?
Within the Durga temple complex at Aihole — visit it on the same ASI ticket. Reached from Badami or Pattadakal by bus or taxi.
How much time do I need for Lad Khan Temple?
20 to 30 minutes.
What else is near Lad Khan Temple?
Nearby you can pair Durga Temple, Aihole (110 m), Aihole Archaeological Museum (170 m), Pattadakal (10.4 km), Mahakuta Temples (19.6 km).
Image credits
Photographs: Mukul Banerjee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), Meesanjay (CC BY-SA 3.0), Mukul Banerjee (CC BY-SA 3.0), BishkekRocks (CC BY-SA 3.0). Wikimedia Commons.