Mahakuta is a quieter Chalukya temple complex northeast of Badami, set around a sacred tank and still used by worshippers. The temples are smaller than Badami's caves but give a better feel for structural Chalukya architecture in a living village setting.
The site is especially good if Badami itself feels crowded. Take time around the tank, look closely at the stonework, and remember that this was part of the same early medieval world that produced the caves and Pattadakal.