free of the effects of aging, disease, and death.
Since that time, he has continued to exist, main-
tain a youthful appearance, and become the guide
and inspiration of many of India’s great spiritual
teachers.
In 1951 Ramaiah founded the INTERNATIONAL
BABAJI KRIYA YOGA SANGAM, which now has loca-
tions in 50 countries and teaches all of the kriya
yoga material that Yogananda deemed inappropri-
ate for introduction to the West in the early 20th
century. Since Ramaiah’s death, the Babaji Kriya
Yoga Sangam has been led by Marshall Govindan,
who was initiated by Ramaiah in 1971.
Another guru, Swami Satyaswarananda of San
Diego, California, claims to have had contact with
Babaji. At Babaji’s instruction, he has republished
the writings of Lahiri Mahasaya in a series called
Sanskrit Classics.
Further reading: Shedha Goodman, Babaji, Meeting
with Truth at Hariakhan Vishvwa Mahadham (Farming-
dale, N.Y.: Coleman, 1986); Marshall Govindan, Babaji
and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Traditions. 2d ed. (Freiberg,
Germany: Hans Nietsch Verlag, 1999); Baba Hari Dass,
Hariakhan Baba Known, Unknown (Davis, Calif.: Shri
Rama Foundation, 1975); Leonard Orr and Makham
Singh, Babaji (San Francisco: Author, 1979); Swami
Satyeswarananda, Babaji. Vol. 1, The Divine Himalayan
Yogi, 3d ed. (San Diego, Calif.: Sanskrit Classics, 1993);
Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (Los
Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship, 1971).
Badami
Badami is an archaeological site in the Bijapur
District of the Indian state of Karnataka, capital
of the famed Chalukya empire from around the
sixth to the 11th century. Four sixth-century
temples carved into solid rock there show a com-
bination of northern and southern architectural
styles. Generally they resemble the temples at
ELLORA.
To the left of the visitor climbing to the top of
the rocks is cave one, dedicated to SHIVA. It shows
a 14-armed Shiva on one side of the entrance and
a protection deity on the other side. Cave two is
dedicated to VISHNU. Its stone carvings tell the
full story of Vishnu’s incarnation as VAMANA, the
divine dwarf, to save the world from the ravages
of the demon king BALI. Vishnu’s boar incarnation
(VARAHA) is also depicted in the cave.
Cave three is the largest and most elaborate.
It contains large carved pillars and an extensive
interior. It too has several images of Vishnu—
standing, lying on the divine serpent ADISHESHA,
as the boar incarnation Varaha, as the man-lion
NARASIMHA, and as the divine dwarf Vamana. Each
depiction is approximately 10 feet high and elabo-
rately carved.
The fourth cave temple is smaller and is Jain
(see JAINISM) in orientation. It depicts the 24
Jain TIRTHANKARAS, or divine teachers, on a wall
and on pillars in relief. The central image is of
PARSHVANATH. Gommateshvara, the son of the first
Tirthankara, RISHABHA; he is depicted in his stand-
ing, yogic pose, overgrown by carved stone vines.
Some distance below the caves near the tank
are two smaller shrines to Shiva and a small tem-
ple to the South Indian goddess Yellamma. These
later shrines are from the 11th century. There are
small caves scattered at the site down below, some
of which were used or dug by Buddhists between
the sixth and eighth centuries.Further reading: Rakhal Das Banerji, Bas Reliefs of
Badami (Calcutta: Government of India Central Pub-
lication Branch, 1928); Michael W. Meister, ed., Essays
in Early Indian Architecture by Ananda K. Coomar-
swamy (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1992); S.
Rajasekhara, Karnataka Architecture (Dharwad: Sujata,
1985); K. V. Ramesh, Chalukyas of Vatapi (Delhi: Agam
Kala Prakashan, 1984); Henri Stierlin and Anne Stier-
lin, Hindu India: From Khajuraho to the Temple City of
Madurai (New York: Taschen, 1998).Badarayana (Vyasa) Vedantic Philosopher
See VEDANTA SUTRA.Badarayana 63 J