Kailasa temple Ellora
The Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora dates back to
the period of the 8th century Rashtrakoota ruler Krishna I. It is a huge rock
cut monolithic temple built in the South Indian style. Ajanta and Ellora, near
Aurangabad are well known tourist attractions. In Ellora, are also seen several
Jaina, Buddhist caves. The Kailasanatha temple is known for its architectural
grandeur as well as its sculptural splendour.
Architecture
More
than 30 temples have been carved from the hillside here at Ellora during the
period 6th-9th centuries CE. The most spectacular of these is the Kailasanatha
temple, which is a colossal monolith with an ornate exterior, all carved out of
the hillside. It was built during the period 757 and 773 CE.
The
Kailasanatha temple exhibits typical Dravidian features. A gateway, an
enclosure for Nandi, and a mandapam line up in front of the sanctum which is
crowned with a vimanam, composed of successively receding storeys, decroated
with miniature buildings.
Other caves of
interest in Ellora are the Rameshwar cave, the Sita ki Nahani cave, and several
Jain caves such as the Indra Sabha cave, all dating back to the pereiod 6th-9th
centuries CE.
