Kailasanath temple

This Presentation is prepared for BA students to have the basic ideas about the Magnificent Kailash of Ellore

1. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Kailasnatha
Temple Ellora
Case no 16
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
A.I.H.C. & Archaeology
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
B.A. III
Semester IV

2. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Kailasnatha
Temple Ellora

3. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Introduction
•KailasatempleofElloraisthelargestsinglemonolithicstructureandoneofthegreatestmanmadewondersoftheworld.
•Itislocallyknownas“VerulLeni”.
•ItislocatedontheAurangabad-Chalisgaonroadatadistanceof30kmnorth-northwestofAurangabad,inMaharashtra.
•TheancientnameofEllorawasElapuraasmentionedintheChalukyanandRaştrakutacopperplateinscriptions.
•CavesareexcavatedfromtheBasaltcliffsintheCharanandriHills.
•The34excavationsontheverticalfaceoftheCharanandrihills–beingBuddhist,HinduandJaincavetemplesandmonasteriesaresupposedtohavebeenbuiltbetweenthe7thcenturyand10thcentury.
1.The12Buddhist(caves1-12),
2.17Hindu(caves13-29)and
3.5Jaincaves(caves30-34),
4.builtinvicinityof16,demonstratethereligiousharmonyprevalentduringthisperiodofIndianhistory.

4. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Location

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KailasaTemple
•ThemostambitiousandimpressiveoftheseisCave16,
theKailasatemple.
•Theproudpatronagewhichcreatedthemagnificent
KailaśahasbeenascribedtoRaśtrakutasofEllora.
•AchariotshapedmonumentdedicatedtoShiva.
•ItincludesaGarbhgrha,Antrala,Mandap,Nandishrine,
Gateway,surroundingcloisters,andsubsidiaryshrines.
•InitsplanandgeneralarrangementstheKailaśabearsa
certainresemblancetotheVirupakshatempleat
Pattadakal,

9. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Who Made it?
•JamesBurgessdatedtheconstructionperiodofKailashtempletothereignof
Dantidurga.
•Someofthetemplereliefsfeaturethesamestyleastheoneusedinthe(Cave
15)DashavataraCave.
•Cave15hasaninscriptionofKrishna'spredecessorandnephewDantidurg
(c.735–756CE).
•Basedonthis,HermannGoetztheconstructionoftheKailasatemplebegan
duringthereignofDantidurga.
•BasedontheBarodacopperplate,M.K.DhavalikararguesthatthesecondRashtrakutamonarchKrishnaI(757–772CE)wasthepatronofKailash
temple.
•AccordingtoK.V.Soundararajan,upperparivarashrinescheme,together
withthemaintemple(uptothemukhamandapa)hadbeenbuiltintheperiod
ofKrishnaIandtheotherpartswereaddedlater.
•NumerousscholarsalsoassumethatafterKrishnaI,manyRashtrakutakings
includingAmoghaVarshaandGovindaIIImayhaveaddedsomeparts.

10. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Theme of temple
•Architecturaldetailsseemtobeinspiredfromthenarratives
ofHindumythology.
•TheKailashanathtemple,inspiredbyMountKailasha,is
dedicatedtoShiva.
•ThetemplehasaShivalingainitssanctumsanctorum.
•TheVaishnavaimagesweregivenprominentpositionand
complementarytothatofŚaivaimages.
•OntheotherhandRamayan,Mahabharatandother
Brahmanicaldeitiesarealsonoticed.

11. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Plan
•The scheme of the
Kailasaresolves into six
main parts
1.Entrance gateway
2.Nandi shrine
3.Mandap
4.Antarala
5.Garbhgruha
6.Cloisters
surrounding the
courtyard
•Oneachsideofthe
courtyardsupplementary
chambershavebeen
excavated.
•There are two free-
standing pillars, or
dhwaja-sthambhas, 51
feet high, one on each
side of the nandishrine.
•Its 106 feet deep at its
innermost side, 160 ft
wide and 280 ft in
length.
•The temple stands in the
middle of this pit. Its
highest point is
theshikharat 96 ft.

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Gateway
•One entrance gate
(two storied)
•Entry From West
•The entrance to the
temple courtyard
features a
lowgopuram
showing Southern
influence
•Wall with Niches
and Pilasters
•Decorated with
sculptures
•Number of deities
with southern
influence
•Left : Saivite deities
•Right: Vaisnavite
deities

18. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Lower story
•Rectangularonplan
•Thedimensionsofthecourtyardare82mx46m
•Hugeplinth25feet
•Looklikegroundfloor
•InfluenceofsouthIndiantemples
•Galleryformthreesides
•Lifesizeelephants,lionscarved
•Hugesculpturalpanel
•Thebaseofthetemplehallfeaturesscenes
fromMahabharataandRamayana.

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Nandi Mandap
•Nandisitsonaporchinfrontofthemaintemple.
•TheNandimandapaandmainShivatempleareeach
about7metreshigh.
•It’satwostoriedstructure.
•ThelowerstoriesoftheNandiMandapaarebothsolid
structures,decoratedwithelaborateillustrativecarvings.
•ArockbridgeconnectstheNandiMandapatotheporchof
thetemple.

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Mandap
•Squarishonplan
•Thismandapisawell-proportionedcompartmentmeasuring70feetby62feet.
•16squarepiersingroupsof4ineachquarter.
•HasArdhmandapa(mukhachatushkis)onfrontandeitherside
•Theplacementofthemahamandapaandthemukhachatushkisisclose
tothearchitecturallayoutoftheVirupakshatempleatPattadakal.
•Flatroofed
•Allthethreepartswerejoinedbyflyingbridge
•Durga,Mahishasuramardini,Gajalakshmi,ArdhanarishwarandVirbhadra,Ravana
shakingtheKailashparvat,andtheMahabharataandRamayanapanels.
•Thebaseofthetemplehasbeencarvedtosuggestthatelephantsareholdingthe
structurealoft.

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Garbhgruha
•At the east
•Southern style vimana (Pyramidical superstructure)
•Situated on high plinth carved with life size Elephants and Lions
•Steps provided on either side to go up
•Small antaralais also attached to the Garbhgruha
•Huge Shivalinga at the Garbhgruha.
•Five subsidiary shrines around the main temple in the circumambulatory path that runs along the side of the hill.
•The open circumambulatory path around the shrine with five sub shrines is a new feature introduced at Ellora taking inspiration from Pattadakkaland Kanchipuram.
•These shrines dedicated to river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna etc.

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Kailas Temple, Ellora
KailasnathTemple, KanchiVirupakshTemple, Pattadakal

29. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Courtyard
•Thedimensionsofthecourtyardare82mx46m.
•Courtyardisslightlyonhigherlevel
•Thecourtyardisedgedbyacolumnedarcade(Galley)threestorieshigh.
•DisplayinglargenumberofsculpturesofavarietyofBrahmanicaldeities.
•HangingbridgesofstoneconnectedthesegalleriestoMaintemple,but
thesehavefallenbycourseoftime.
•SomeofthemostfamoussculpturesareNatraja,Ravnanugrah,Ganga-
Yamunaetc.
•Highlyrichindecoration
•Carvedwithpilasters,niches,windows,andcornices
•BothShaiviteandVaishnavitesculptures
•TherearetwoDwajasthambams(VictoryPillars)inthecourtyard
measuring.

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Plinth

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Pillars
Thevictorypillarsareplacedsymmetrically
flankingtheNandimandapavisuallyenhancing
theverticalityofthemonument.

33. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Pillars
•Influence of DravidStyle is clearly visible on Pillars
and Pilasters
•Pillars of the temple are huge and square on plan
•Highly Decorated
•Dr. B.S. Upadhyaya: this temple is development of
PallavaStyle, and its sculptures and decoration are
above than all south Indian temples.

34. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Galleries
•Gallery is surrounded
on three sides by
colonnaded Walkways,
•Its three stories high
with extensive
overhang.
•There are huge carved
with enormous
sculptures
ofBrahmanicaldeities.

35. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Lankeshwarcave
•TheLankeshwarcave,carvedinthenorthern
escarpmentofKailasa,isauniqueedificeinmany
respects.
•Stylisticallyitmarksafurtherstageofdevelopment
theRashtrakutaart.
•Mandapasupportedbyfoursetsoffourpillars
each.
•Garbha-grihaisrectangular.
•PillarsaremassiveanddecoratedthanKailasa

36. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Lankeshwar

37. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Regional Influence
•ThearchitectureandsculptureofElloraKailasaclearlyshowthepresenceofcraftsmenfromChalukyanregionworkingalongwiththoseofPallavaandWesternIndianregions.
•CarvingtechniqueemployedisdefinitelyfromPallavaregion.
•WesternIndiancarverswhoworkedontheothercavesatElloratoomighthavebeenemployedtoworkontheinteriorspacesatKailasa.
•Thetemple,eveniftheyarenotstructurallyrequired,hasallthearchitecturaldetailsofareal,block-builttemplewithbases,beams,columns,capitals,brackets,andpilasters.

38. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Art
•Architecturalelementssuchascornices,pilasters,niches,andporticoshavebeen
assembledsystematically.
•Createdthethree-dimensionallyformativestatuesassumingquitedynamic
postures.
•ThewallsofthetempletellthestoryoftheepicRamayanathroughintricate,
illustrativecarvings.
•Therearenumeroussculpturesdepictingdiversegods,demons,andimaginary
animals,
•Forexample,Durga,onalion’sback,isdepictedonthesouthsideoftheentrance
tothetemple,bravelyconfrontingMahisha,thedemonkingwithabuffalohead.
•Besidesthat,therearedepictionsofLakshmi,,Ganesha,Kama,withabowand
arrows,andGangaandYamuna.
•Carvingsdepictingcombatscenesandanimals.
•Shiva:hisaggressiveformslikeTripurantakamurtiandGajantaka,benignforms
likeKalarimurtiandRavananugrahamurti,andShivaasMahayogi(thegreatyogi),
Lakulisha(theguru),NateshaandArdhanrishvara.

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Ramayana panel

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Ramayana –Mahabhartapanel

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Samharamurti
Tripurantaka
Andhakasuravadha
Bhairava
Kalarimurti
AnugrahamurtiGangavataram
Ravananugraha
Kiratarjuna
Ravanaoffering his head
Teacher aspectMahayogi
Lakulisha
Natesha
OtherArdhanarishvara
Harihara
Lingodbhava
Umamahesha
Somskanda
Shiva and Parvati playing chausar
Vrisabhantika
Shiva
Shiva as Lingin
Kalyansundaramurti
Shiva with Rama and Lakshmana
Brahma uprooting Shivalinga
Shiva testing the love of Parvati
Form of Shiva images
At Kailas

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Remains of Painting

46. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Conclusion
•Thismonumentrepresentstheclimaxoftherock-cutphaseofDeccanarchitecture.
•PercyBrownhassaid"theIndianartisthadanextraordinarilydevelopedplasticsense.Nootherpeoplehaseverdreamedofsculptingsuchgreattemplesoutofthesolidrockasitwas.Indeed,Indianarchitectureproceeds,notasours,accordingtotheprinciplesofconstruction;itisratherconceivedasanobjectcutoutofsolidmaterialasanyivoryfiguremightbe.”
•ShaivaiteandVaishnaviteimages,alongHindu,JainandBhuddhistCaveswerebuiltclosetooneanotherandillustratethereligiousharmonythatexistedinancientIndia.
•Thesite'slocationonanancientSouthAsiantraderoutealsomadeitanimportantcommercialcentreintheDeccanregion.

47. Dr. Virag Sontakke
Thank You