Kalyani is about 60 km from Gulbarga in Karnataka and was the capital of Later Chalukya Rulers from 973 AD to 1200 AD. Today the place is famous as Basava Kalyani.
Before falling into oblivion with the end of the later Chalukya rulers, it was an important center of literature and religion.
The literary works composed here include:
- An Encyclopedia was composed by Emperor Someshvara III of Later Chalukya in 1138 AD.
- Bilhana, the Sanskrit poet and historian, lived in the court of Someshvara I (1044 AD to 1068 AD). He composed Vikramanika Chairta, Karnasundari, and poem Charu Panchasika.
Historians have discovered remains of temples, fort and inscriptions from the area.
Swami Sadananda and his disciple, Ramananda, who were the exponents of the Dattatreya Sampradaya had made Kalyani their permanent abode. He had built a monastery here to spread the teachings of Lord Dattatreya.
Today, the place is famous as the land of the great Basavanna. The famous Lingayat or Veerashaiva sect was founded by Basavanna here. Basavanna was the minister in the court of Bijjala Kalachurya, the king of Kalyani.