This group of temples is situated in Badami, close to the well-known temples of the Badami cave. This small town, then known as Vatapi, was the capital of the Early Chalukyan Dynasty.
On the eastern side of the lake, the temple called the Bhutanatha temple has a superstructure resembling the early South Indian or North Indian design with its open mantapa reaching into the lake, while the smaller temple on the north-eastern side of the lake, often named the Mallikarjuna group of temples, has a stepped superstructure, usually found in Kalyani Chalukya constructions.
The temple of Bhutanatha is located on the eastern side of Tirtha Agasthya. This is one of South India's earliest examples of the formal temples. This temple was erected during Vatapi's Chalukyas reign.In the late 7th century, during the reign of the Badami Chalukyas, the inner sanctuary and mantapa of Bhutanatha temple were installed. While the outer mantapa in front of the Badami tank was completed during 11th century Kalyani Chalukyas rule. Hence the temple of Bhutanatha incorporates architectural styles from different times.
A strong architrave above the columns divides the hall into a central nave and two aisles, in the inner hall of the Bhutanatha temple. The pillars are wide and the bays at the nave 's ceiling are lined with rosette lotus. Perforated windows add dim illumination to the mantapa inside.
Across either side of the doorway to the shrine is an image of Goddess Ganga across her horse, the makara, on the right, and on the left, that of Yamuna goddesses riding the tortoise. The Shiva linga in the shrine seems to be a later addition after removing the original deity in the sanctum. The temple is incomplete, and there are vestiges of Jain architecture at the base of the superstructure.
To the north of the hall there is a small shrine, originally dedicated for Vishnu. After later modifications by Jain, the temple was eventually taken over by Lingayatism followers who constructed an outer hall and installed a Nandi and a Shiva linga within the sanctum.