Kailash Temple

Here is the next post from the series “Temples: Architectural Wonders of India!!!!!

The Kailash temple (abode of Lord Shiva), which was planned in the reign of King Dantidurg was completed in the 8th century in the reign of King Krishna I of Rashtrakut dynasty. This temple is 32 meters high, which is the largest rock-cut monument in the world. This temple was excavated from top to bottom and from outside to inside direction from a single basaltic rock. Outside the temple, we can see the various carved monuments of the deities in different poses. After entering the premises of the temple, we see the huge carving of a goddess Gaja Lakshmi, meaning goddess Lakshmi is being coronated and being offered flowers by two elephants. On both the pillars along with this carving, we see the sculptures of Sankha-Nidhi and Padma-Nidhi representing the prosperity of Rashtrakut dynasty. In the courtyard, there are two massive carved elephants and two huge towers, “Pillar of Victory”, expressing the supremacy and power of this dynasty. On one of the side of the temple, we discover the three beautiful sculptures of the river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati indicating Purity, Devotion and Knowledge respectively. These carvings of the three rivers also depict their carriers viz crocodile, tortoise and lotus flower. In this whole complex, we can see various sculptures of dancing Shiva, i.e, Lord Natraj in varied posture.

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On the outside walls of the main temple of Kailash, there are numerous episodes of Mahabharata and Ramayana carved in an intricate manner. In the complex of this temple, there is a three-sided corridor. In this corridor, there are various sculptures of Lord Shiva which supports the number of mythological stories. It is said that the artists who worked for the construction of this monument, were also from Nepal and China, who supported Buddhism. As a result, we can see the influence of the Buddhist style of carving in this shrine. The main temple, which is built on the upper side of the structure is known as Ranga-Mahal, as it was plastered and painted by Maharani Ahilya Devi Holkar of Indore at her time. One cannot get the idea of the monumental value of this temple unless one sees it from the top. From the top, we are able to see the shape of the temple as a chariot.

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Next post on 30th April!!!!

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