Page 482 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

480  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

e Ellora: Kailasanatha Temple

The finest of the Ellora group of rock-cut caves is the
magnificent Kailasanatha Temple (Cave 16), a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Commissioned by the Rashtrakuta
king Krishna I in the 8th century, this mammoth complex,
spanning 84 m (276 ft) by 47 m (154 ft), was carved out
of a huge rocky cliff face. Sculptors chiselled through . The Roof
85,000 cubic metres (approximately 3 million cubic ft) The mandapa (assembly hall)
of rock, beginning at the top of the cliff and working roof is embellished by a lotus
their way down. The resulting marvel, embellished carved in concentric rings,
with huge sculptural panels, was meant to depict topped by four stone lions.
Mount Kailasa, the sacred abode of Lord Shiva.

KEY
1 Courtyard has two life-size
elephants on either side.
2 The Nandi Pavilion
3 The tower rises almost 33 m
(107 ft), and was once covered in
white plaster, to replicate Mount
Kailasa’s snowy peaks.
4 Rock-cut monasteries
5 Ramayana panels flank the
south wall, while the north wall has
Mahabharata and Krishna legends.

Obelisks
Flanking the
Nandi Pavilion
are two
monolithic
pillars, 17 m
(56 ft) high,
with carvings
of lotus friezes
and garlands.

. Lakshmi with Elephants
Facing the entrance, the ornate Gaja lakshmi
panel in the Nandi Pavilion depicts Lakshmi
seated in a lotus pond and being bathed by
elephants bearing upturned pots in their trunks.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp700–701 and p715

480-481_EW_India.indd 480 26/04/17 11:47 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm