Oriental Scenery/Part 6/Plate 12
No. XII. Plans D.
THE ENTRANCE TO KAILASA.
Kailasa (the paradise of the gods, and abode of Cuvera the god of riches) is situated nearly in the centre of the numerous excavations in the mountain of Ellora, and is by far the most considerable of them. No. 8, is under it in the margin of the second general view. The following is nearly copied from Sir Charles Warre Malet's description of Kailasa in the sixth volume of the Asiatic Researches.
"This wonderful place is approached more handsomely than any of the foregoing, and exhibits a very fine front in an area cut through the rock. On the right-hand side of the entrance is a cistern of very fine water. On each side of the gateway, there is a projection reaching to the first story, with much sculpture and handsome battlements, which, however, have suffered much from the corroding hand of time. The gateway is very spacious and fine, furnished with apartments on each side, such as are now usually added to the Dewries or Portals of the eastern palaces. Over the gate is a balcony which seems intended for the Nobat Khana (Music gallery). On the outside of the upper story of the gateway are pillars, that have much the appearance of the Grecian order. The passage through the gateway below is richly adorned with sculpture, in which appear Bahwani Ashta-Bhuja (or the goddess Bhawani with eight arms) on the right, and Ganesa on the left. From the gateway you enter a vast area cut down through the solid rock of the mountain to make room for an immense temple, of the complex pyramidal form, whose wonderful structure, variety, profusion, and minuteness of ornament, beggar all description. This temple, which is excavated from the upper region of the rock, and appears like a grand building, is connected with the gateway by a bridge left out of the rock, as the mass of the mountain was excavated. Beneath this bridge, at the end opposite the entrance, there is a figure of Bhawani sitting on a lotus, with two elephants with their trunks joined, as though fighting over her head. On each side of the passage under the bridge is an elephant marked A in the plan, plate D, one of which has lost its head, the other its trunk, and both are much shortened of their height by earth. There are likewise ranges of apartments on each side behind the elephants, of which those on the left are much the finest, being handsomely decorated with figures. Advanced in the area, beyond the elephants, are two obelisks, B, of a square form, handsomely graduated to the commencement of the capitals, which seem to have been crowned with ornaments, but they are not extant, though, from the remains of the left-hand one, I judge them to have been a single lion on each. To preserve some order, and thereby render easier the description of this great and complex work, I shall, after mentioning that on each side of the gateway within, there is an abundance of sculpture, all damaged by time, proceed to mention the parts of the centre structure, and then, returning to the right side, enumerate its parts; when taking the left-hand I shall terminate the whole in a description of the end of the area opposite and behind the grand temple. Exemplifying the whole by references to the annexed plan.
ENTER BELOW.
"Passing through the gateway (1) below, you enter the area (2), and proceeding under a small bridge, pass a solid square mass (3) which supports the bull Nandi stationed above. The sides of this recess are profusely sculptured with pillars and figures of various forms. Having passed it, you come to the passage under another small bridge, beneath which there is, on one side, a gigantic sitting figure of Raja Bhoj, surrounded by a group of other figures; opposite to which is as gigantic a figure of Chatur Bhuj, with his four arms. At the end of this short passage commences the body of the grand temple (4), the excavation of which is in the upper story that is here ascended by flights of steps on each side (5).
RIGHT AND LEFT-HAND SIDES OF THE TEMPLE BELOW.
"The right-hand side is adorned with a very full and complex sculpture of the battle of Rama and Ravana, in which Hanuman makes a very conspicuous figure. Proceeding from this field of battle, the heads of elephants, lions, and some imaginary animals, are projected as though supporting the temple, till you come to a projection (6), in the side of which, sunk in the rock, is a large group of figures but much mutilated. This projection was connected with the apartments on the right-hand side of the area by a bridge (7), which has given way, and the ruins of it now fill up the sides of the area. It is said to be upwards of one hundred years since it fell. Passing the projection of the main body of the temple, it lessens for a few paces, then again projects (8), and after a very small space on the line of the body of the temple, the length of this wonderful structure, if what is fabricated downwards out of a solid mass can be so called, terminates in a smaller degree of projection than the former. The whole length is supported, in the manner above mentioned, by figures of elephants, lions, &c. projecting from the base, to give, it should seem, the whole vast mass the appearance of moveability, by those mighty animals. The hindmost, or eastern extremity of the temple, is composed of three distinct temples elaborately adorned with sculpture, and supported like the sides, by elephants, &c. many of which are mutilated. The left-hand side (I mean from the entrance) differs so little from the right, that it is unnecessary to be particular in mentioning any thing, except that opposite the description of the battle of Rama and Ravana, is that of the Kurus and the Pandus, in which the warriors consist of footmen, and others mounted on elephants, and cars drawn by horses, though I had observed none mounted on horses. The principal weapon seems the bow, though maces and straight swords are discoverable.
CENTRE ABOVE.
"The gateway consists of three centre rooms (9), and one on each side (9). From the centre rooms, crossing the bridge (10), you ascend by seven steps (11) into a small room (12), in which is the bull Nandi. This room has two doors and two windows. Opposite the windows are the obelisks (B) before mentioned. From the station of Nandi, you cross over the second bridge (13), and ascend by three steps (14) into a handsome open portico (15), supported by two pillars, (above each of which, on the outside, is the figure of a lion, that, though mutilated, has the remains of great beauty, and on the inside, two figures resembling sphynxes) towards the bridge, and two pilasters that join it to the body of the temple, the grand apartment of which (16) you enter from the portico by four handsome steps and a door-way, on each side of which are gigantic figures. Advancing a few paces into the temple, which is supported by two rows of pillars, beside the walls that are decorated with pilasters, there is an intermission of one pillar on each side, leading to the right and left, to an open portico (17), projecting from the body of the temple, from the right-hand one of which, the bridge, already mentioned as broken, connected the main temple with side apartments, to which there is now no visible access, but by putting a ladder for the purpose, though I was told there is a hole in the mountain above that leads into it, which I had not time nor strength to explore. The access to the opposite is by stairs from below. The recess (18) of the Linga (19) of Maha-Deva, to which there is an ascent of five steps, forms the termination of this fine saloon, on each side of the door of which is a profusion of sculpture. The whole of the ceiling has been chunamed and painted, great part of which is in good preservation. A door (20) on each side of this recess of the Linga of Maha-Deva leads to an open platform (21), having on each side of the grand centre pyramid, that is raised over the recess of the Linga, two other recesses (22), one on each side, formed also pyramidically, but containing no image. Three other pyramidical recesses (23), without images within them, terminate the platform, all of them elaborately ornamented with numerous figures of the Hindoo mythology. Many of the outer as well as the inner parts of this grand temple are chunamed and painted. The people here attribute the smoky blackness of the painting within, to Aurungzebe having caused the different apartments to be filled with straw and set on fire, which I can reconcile to no other ground than to efface any (if any there were) obscenities, as there are many in the sculpture. Upon the whole, this temple, of which I was too much indisposed to give even the inadequate account that I might, if in perfect health, has the appearance of a magnificent fabric, the pyramidal parts of which seem to me to be exactly in the same style as that of the modern Hindoo temples.
RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE AREA.
"This side of the rock has a continuance of excavations as marked in the plan, but all those below, except the verandah, which I shall quit for the present, are of little note; and those above, of three stories, called Lanka (24), which appear much more worthy of attention, are inaccessible, but by a ladder, from the fall of the bridge. I shall therefore proceed to the
LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE AREA.
"In which there are excavations of some consideration from below, from which you ascend to an upper story called Para Lanka (Upper Lanka), by an indifferent staircase (25), into a fine temple, at the extremity of which is a recess containing the Linga of Maha-Deva, and opposite thereto, near the entrance from the staircase, is the bull Nandi, with two large fine figures resting on maces on each side of the recess in which he sits. The ceiling of this temple is, I think, lower than any of the foregoing. The whole of this temple is in fine preservation, strongly supported by very massy pillars, and richly ornamented with mythological figures, the sculpture of some of which is very fine. The ceiling, like the others, has the remains of painting visible, through the dusky appearance of smoke with which it is obscured. Descending from Para Lanka, you pass through a considerable unsculptured excavation (26) to a verandah (27), which seems allotted to the personages of the Hindoo mythology (a kind of pantheon) in open compartments; these figures commence on the left hand, with—1st. The Linga of Maha-Deva, surrounded by nine heads, and supported by Ravana.—2nd. Goura Parvati, and beneath Ravana writing.—3rd. Maha-Deva, Parvati, and beneath Nandi.—4th. Ditto, ditto.—5th. Vishnu.—6th. Goura Parvati.—7th. A Bakta (a votary of Vishnu) with his legs chained.—8th. Goura Parvati.—9th. Ditto. N. B. These representations of Goura and Parvati all differ from each other.—10th. Ditto.—11th. Vishnu and Lakshmi.—12th. Bala Badra, issuing from the Pinda or Linga of Maha-Deva. Here ends the left-hand side, and commences the eastern extremity, or end of the area (28), in which the figures are continued, viz.—13th. Goura and Parvatj.—14th. Bheru, with Govinda Raj, transfixed on his spear.—15th. Daitasur on a chariot, drawing a bow.—16th. Goura and Parvati.—17th. Kala Bheru.—18th. Nara Singa Avatara, issuing from the pillar.—19th. Kala Bheru.—20th. Bala Bheru.—21st. Vishnu.—22nd. Govinda.—23rd. Brahma.—24th. Lakshmi Das.—25th. Mahmund.—26th. Narayana.—27th. Bheru.—28th. Govinda.—29th. Bala Bheru.—3Oth. Govinda Raja and Lakshmi.—31st. Krishna Das. Here ends the verandah of the eastern extremity; and I now proceed with that on the right hand (29), having, in my description of that side, stopped at the commencement of this extraordinary verandah, for the purpose of preserving the enumeration of the figures uninterrupted, viz.—32nd. Maha-Deva.—33rd. Ittuldas.—34th. Dharma Raja, embracing Uggar Kam.— 35th. Narasinga destroying Hirana Kasyapa.—36th. Vishnu sleeping on the serpent Sesh Naga, the Kamala (lotus) issuing from his navel, and Brahma sitting on the flower.—37th. Govardhana.—38th. Maha-Deva Bali, with six hands.—39th. Krishna sitting on Garuda.—4Oth. Varaha Avatara.—41st. Krishna Chitterbooz trampling on Kalya Naga.—42nd. Ballagee.—43rd. Anapurna. It is to be observed, that almost all the principal figures are accompanied in their respective pannels by others, explanatory of the character of that part of the history of the idol in which it is represented. Had not my strength failed me, I should have been much more particular than I have been in this and every other part of so wonderful a place, though the utmost minuteness could not have done justice to it. I am sorry to observe, that, from the appearance of the hill above, this verandah projecting greatly beyond the pillars at the eastern extremity, the water, during rains, must fall into the area in a perfect torrent, or cascade, of the whole height of the superincumbent rock, a number of loose pieces of which, lying on the slope above, seem ready for precipitation down the scarp."
The entrance to Kailasa.