Description: | Photograph of the court and the south column in the Kailasanatha temple, from the south-west corner, at Ellora in Maharashtra, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1870s. The Kailasanatha temple is the most noted of all the splendours of Ellora. It is entirely sculpted out of a great mass of basalt. Patronized by different rulers of the Rashtrakuta dynasty from the mid-8th century, it symbolizes Mount Kailasa, abode of Shiva. A tall screen with an entrance gateway obscures the exterior of the temple. The temple complex has three main structures; a Nandi shrine, a mandapa, and the main sanctuary or shrine. The principal shrine is topped by a shikara, or pyramidal tower. Sculptural friezes in the temple depict tales from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the life of Shiva. Two monolithic columns, 17m (56ft) high and decorated with relief carvings, are situated on either side of the main temple. |