Kailasa Temple Ellora
The other Buddhist caves as well as the first few Hindu caves are fairly unremarkable
and do not prepare you for the magnificence of Kailasa Temple or Cave 16. Believed
to have been started by the Rashtrakuta king, Krishna I, Its excavation must
rank as an architectural wonder. Two great trenches some 90 meters long were
dug into the hillside. They were connected at the deepest point by another trench
53 metres across. The temple was meant to appear as though rising from a vast
courtyard at ground level.
The great block of residual rock, rising 30 metres, was then carved into the
three- storeyed vimana, the main mandapa, two giant dhwajasthambas or pillars,
and four sub- shrines. Beginning at the top, the mass of rock was hewn into
shape, and as each layer was shaped, the carves began ornamenting the structure.
Each layer was thus hewn and decorated completely before moving downward, thus
eliminating the need for any scaffolding.
The temple is dedicated to Shiva and named for his mountain home in the Himalayas,
the snow- peak Kailasa. The main shrine and the Nandi mandapa are built on a
plinth, over 7.8 metres high, with its entire vertical surface carved with mythical
animals and gargoyles.
The Main temple
This is flanked on either side by two free- standing pillars, soaring some 15.9
metres high. These gracefully proportioned pillars are believed to have once
borne the trishul or trident of Shiva.
Two storeys of corridors have been carved into the mountain, ringing the temple
on three sides. These corridors are studded with small alcoves, all containing
a wealth of sculpted figures telling the tales of the great Hindu epics, the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Among the narrative friezes is the descent of
river Ganga, and one of Ravana shaking Mount Kailasa. The architectural style
and intricate sculpture is similar to Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal that had
been completed a decade before.
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