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

2. Introduction
• It is locally known as “Verul Leni”.
• It is located on the Aurangabad-Chalisgaon road at a distance of
30 km north-northwest of Aurangabad, in Maharashtra.
• The ancient name of Ellora was Elapura as mentioned in the
Chalukyan and Raştrakuta copper plate inscriptions.
• Caves are excavated from the Basalt cliffs in the Charanandri
Hills.
• The 34 caves belongs to Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sects
• Date: 7th century and 10th century.
1. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1-12),
2. 17 Hindu (caves 13-29) and
3. 5 Jain caves (caves 30-34),
4. Caves demonstrate the religious harmony.

3. Location

6. Kailasa Temple
• Kailasa temple of Ellora is the largest single monolithic
structure and one of the greatest man made wonders of the
world.
• The most ambitious and impressive is Cave 16.
• The magnificent Kailaśa has been patronised by
Raśtrakutas of Deccan.
• A chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva.
• It includes a Garbhgrha, Antrala, Mandapa, Nandi shrine,
Gateway, surrounding cloisters, and subsidiary shrines.
• In its plan and general arrangements the Kailaśa bears a
certain resemblance to the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal

7. Who Made it?
• James Burgess dated the construction period of Kailash temple to the reign of
Dantidurga.
• Some of the temple reliefs feature the same style as the one used in the (Cave
15) Dashavatara Cave.
• Cave 15 has an inscription of Krishna's predecessor and nephew Dantidurg
(c. 735–756 CE).
• Based on this, Hermann Goetz the construction of the Kailasa temple began
during the reign of Dantidurga.
• Based on the Baroda copper plate, M.K. Dhavalikar argues that the second
Rashtrakuta monarch Krishna I (757–772 CE) was the patron of Kailash
temple.
• K.V. Soundararajan, the main temple (up to the mukhamandapa) had been
built in the period of Krishna I and the other parts were added later.
• Numerous scholars also assume that after Krishna I, many Rashtrakuta kings
including Amogha Varsha and Govinda III may have added some parts.

8. Theme of temple
• Architectural details seem to be inspired from the narratives
of Hindu mythology.
• The Kailashanath temple, inspired by Mount Kailasha, is
dedicated to Shiva.
• The temple has a Shivalinga in its sanctum sanctorum.
• The Vaishnava images were given prominent position and
complementary to that of Śaiva images.
• On the other hand Ramayan, Mahabharat and other
Brahmanical deities are also noticed.

9. Plan
• The scheme of the
Kailasa resolves into six
main parts
1. Entrance gateway
2. Nandi shrine
3. Mandap
4. Antarala
5. Garbhgruha
6. Cloisters
surrounding the
courtyard
• On each side of the
courtyard supplementary
chambers have been
excavated.
• There are two free-
standing pillars, or
dhwaja-sthambhas, 51
feet high, one on each
side of the nandi shrine.
• 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
the shikhar at 96 ft.

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

16. Lower story
• Rectangular on plan
• The dimensions of the courtyard are 82 m x 46 m
• Huge plinth 25 feet
• Look like ground floor
• Influence of south Indian temples
• Gallery form three sides
• Life size elephants, lions carved
• Huge sculptural panel
• The base of the temple hall features scenes
from Mahabharata and Ramayana.

19. Nandi Mandap
• Nandi sits on a porch in front of the main temple.
• The Nandi mandapa and main Shiva temple are each
about 7 metres high.
• It’s a two storied structure.
• The lower stories of the Nandi Mandapa are both solid
structures, decorated with elaborate illustrative carvings.
• A rock bridge connects the Nandi Mandapa to the porch of
the temple.

21. Mandap
• Squarish on plan
• This mandap is a well-proportioned measuring 70 feet by 62 feet .
• 16 square piers in groups of 4 in each quarter.
• Has Ardhmandapa (mukha chatushkis) on three sides
• The placement of the mandapa and the mukha chatushkis is close to the
architectural lay out of the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal.
• Flat roofed
• All the three parts were joined by flying bridge
• The base of the temple has been carved to suggest that elephants are
holding the structure aloft.
• Durga, Mahishasuramardini, Gajalakshmi, Ardhanarishwar and
Virbhadra, Ravananugraha, and the Mahabharata and Ramayana panels.

24. Garbhgruha
• Situated 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 antarala is 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.
• It is a new feature introduced at Ellora taking inspiration
from Pattadakkal and Kanchipuram.
• These shrines dedicated to river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna
etc.

26. Kailas Temple, Ellora
Kailasnath Temple, Kanchi
Virupaksh Temple, Pattadakal

27. Courtyard
• The dimensions of the courtyard are 82 m x 46 m.
• Courtyard is slightly on higher level
• The courtyard is edged by a columned arcade (Galley) three stories
high.
• Displaying large number of sculptures of a variety of Brahmanical
deities.
• Hanging bridges of stone connected these galleries to Main temple,
but these have fallen by course of time.
• Two Dwajasthambams (Victory Pillars) in the courtyard measuring.
• Highly rich in decoration
• Carved with pilasters, niches, windows, and cornices
• Both Shaivite and Vaishnavite sculptures
• Some of the most famous sculptures are Natraja, Ravnanugrah,
Ganga-Yamuna etc.

29. Plinth

30. Pillars
The victory pillars are placed symmetrically
flanking the Nandi mandapa visually enhancing
the verticality of the monument.

31. Pillars
• Influence of Dravid Style 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
Pallava Style, and its sculptures and decoration are
above than all south Indian temples.

32. Galleries
• Gallery is surrounded
on three sides by
colonnaded
Walkways,
• There are huge
carved with
enormous sculptures
of Brahmanical deiti
es.

33. Lankeshwar cave
• The Lankeshwar cave, carved in the northern
escarpment of Kailasa, is a unique edifice in many
respects.
• Stylistically it marks a further stage of development the
Rashtrakuta art.
• Mandapa supported by four sets of four pillars
each.
• Garbha-griha is rectangular.
• Pillars are massive and decorated than Kailasa

34. Lankeshwar

35. Regional Influence
• The architecture and sculpture of Ellora Kailasa clearly show
the presence of craftsmen from Chalukyan region working
along with those of Pallava and Western Indian regions.
• Carving technique employed is definitely from Pallava region.
• Western Indian carvers who worked on the other caves at
Ellora too might have been employed to work on the interior
spaces at Kailasa.
• The temple, even if they are not structurally required, has all
the architectural details of a real, block-built temple with
bases, beams, columns, capitals, brackets, and pilasters.

36. Art
• Architectural elements such as cornices, pilasters, niches, and
porticos have been assembled systematically.
• Created the three-dimensionally formative statues assuming quite
dynamic postures.
• The walls of the temple tell the story of the epic Ramayana through
intricate, illustrative carvings.
• There are numerous sculptures depicting diverse gods, demons, and
imaginary animals
• Depictions of Lakshmi, Ganesha, Kama, and Ganga and Yamuna.
• Carvings depicting combat scenes and animals.
• Shiva:
1. Aggressive forms like Tripurantakamurti and Gajantaka,
2. Benign forms like Kalarimurti and Ravananugrahamurti, and
3. Mahayogi form Lakulisha (the guru), Natesha and Ardhanrishvara.

38. Ramayana panel

39. Ramayana –Mahabharta panel

40. Samharamurti
Tripurantaka
Andhakasuravadha
Bhairava
Kalarimurti
Anugrahamurti Gangavataram
Ravananugraha
Kiratarjuna
Ravana offering his head
Teacher aspect Mahayogi
Lakulisha
Natesha
Other Ardhanarishvara
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

43. Remains of Painting

44. Conclusion
• This monument represents the climax of the rock-cut phase
of Deccan architecture.
• Percy Brown has said “No other people has ever dreamed
of sculpting such great temples out of the solid rock.”
• Shaivaite and Vaishnavite images, along Hindu, Jain and
Bhuddhist Caves were built close to one another and
illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India.
• The site’s location on an ancient South Indian trade route
also made it an important commercial centre in the Deccan
region.
• Great architecture of all the time

45. Any Questions?