KAILASH TEMPLE, ELLORA

INTRODUCTION_________________________/

• Location - Aurangabad, Maharashtra• Built in - 8th century by the Rashtrakuta

king Krishna I.• Architects were from the south Indian

Pallava kingdom.• Style - Dravidian Architecture

• It is a monolithic structure, notable for its vertical excavation, carvers started at the top of the original rock, and excavated downward. It  is estimated that about 400,000 tons of rocks was scooped out over hundreds of years to construct it out of a single rock.

• The ground plan of the Kailasa approximates in area that of the parthenon and it’s height is1.5 times.

STRUCTURE______________________________/

• The first stage of work was simple. It consisted in excavating out of the hillside three huge trenches at right angles, cut down vertically to the level of the base of the hill, thus forming a rectangle 300 feet by 175 feet.

• The main body of the temple occupies a parallelogram approx. 150 feet by 100

feet with sections of its sides projecting at intervals, like transepts, to support Corresponding projecting features above.

PARTS OF TEMPLE________________________/

The scheme of the Kailasa resolves into four main parts

1. Body of the temple2. Entrance gateway3. An intermediate nandi shrine4. Cloisters surrounding the courtyard

• On each side of the courtyard supplementary chambers have been excavated.

• There are two free-standing pillars, or dhwajasthambhas, 51 feet high, one on each side of the nandi shrine.

ELEMENTS______________________________/

• Plinth appears like ground story, which is 25 feet high.• Above and below, the sub-structure is heavily moulded.• Central space of the sides is occupied by a grand frieze of

boldly carved elephants and lions.• There is no pronounced departure from the conventional

combination of the mandapa and the vimana.• Architectural elements such as cornices, pilasters, niches,

and porticos have been assembled orderly and artistic manner to form a

unified whole.

INTERIOR & COURTYARD______________/

• The interior consists of a pillared hall.• This hall is a well-proportioned compartment measuring 70

feet by 62 feet .• Having 16 square piers in groups of 4 in each quarter.

• There is a nandi shrine standing on a 25 feet square solid pavilion.• A living rock bridge connects the

Nandi Mandap to the porch of the temple.

• The walls of the temple tell the story of the epic Ramayana through intricate, illustrative carvings.

• Apart from Lalibela, Ethiopia and  Mahabalipuram; it is the finest

example of free-standing carved-out, rock-cut architecture in the world.

• One of the biggest monolithic

structure in the world.• Awarded as a UNESCO World Heritage

site in 1983.