UNESCO has officially placed the Cave Temples of Badami on its list of Heritage at Risk following a series of unprecedented monsoon floods that have threatened the structural integrity of these 6th-century rock-cut monuments. Located in Karnataka, India, the temples are famous for their Chalukya-era carvings and high-relief sculptures of Hindu and Jain deities.
The designation will unlock emergency international funding and technical expertise to implement advanced drainage systems and nanochemical stone-sealing treatments. Experts are concerned about the porous sandstone foundations of Cave III, which has shown signs of significant water seepage that could lead to the collapse of its famous pillared verandas.