Kailasanatha temple

 

 

The Kailasanatha is the largest temple complex built by
Rajasimha and added to by his son Mahendravarman - III in his
father's life time. The main vimana of the Rajasimheswara is a
typical Dravidian Style of square sikara type with four tiers,
facing east, and its aditala is integrated with seven abutting
sub-shrines, square ones in the four corners and oblong ones
on the three sides on the diagonal and cardinal axial. All the
sub shrines have independent entrances and enshrined icons.

The main vimana has a high adhisthana with moldings and excellent ornamentation. The Jagatai position of the adhisthana is embellished with friezes of bhutas, some with animal and some with demon faces. They are depicted in various poses of dance and merriment. The tripatta kumuda
found over the Jagatai in the adhisthana is also exquisitely carved with various ornamentations. The wall of the temple has been adorned with vyala based plasters. Unlike the sculptures defined only in the cardinal niches, the whole wall has been crowded with number of beautiful sculptures making
Kailasanatha temple as a veritable treasure house of saivite Iconographic forms. This is the richest of all Pallavas shrines in terms of figural decoration.

The first and third tala has the usual hara with karnakutas and bhadrasalas, but the second tala has panjaras in addition
to that, a pattern met with for the first time. The fourth tala has bull figures at the corners. The octagonal griva shows
figures of Siva Dakahinamurthy, Vishnu and Brahma on the East, South West and North directions respectively. The sikara has Mahanasis on all eight of its faces.

The garbhagraha has a Somaskanda panel on its rear wall obscured partially from view by the centrally placed eight foot prismatic dharalinga of black stone characteristic of
Rajashimhas's time, in which such Lingas seem to have been introduced.

 In front of the main vimana there is a detached mandapa known as Rajasimha mandapa. It is flat topped, with cantoning walls at the corners and pair of pillars at the intermediate

openings of its four faces and with more such pillars in rows inside. Dvarapalakas appear in niches on the east, Lakshmi and Saraswathi on the south and Durga and Jyestha on the north.

Standing in front in the same axial line is the
Mahendravarman - III in his scheme of elaboration of his father's temple unit. It is a two tier vimana with wagon vaulted
roof like sikhara known technically as sala sikara. It is also constructed in sandstone except the upana and Pattika of the
adhisthana which is made out of granite slabs. This vimana contains a Somaskanda panel on its rear wall and a prismatic
Dharalinga of basalt in the centre of the floor of the  sanctorum.

Another interesting feature of the Kailasanatha complex is the fifty-eighth sub-shrine surrounding the main Rajasimheswara, forming a connected cloister like chain found
the inner face of the prakara wall. All the sub shrines are of (except the two coming opposites the north south median axial line of the main vimana) two tiered square sikhara type, enshrining mostly the form of Siva either in painting or in bas relifs. The two exceptions are two tiered Nagara vimanas with wagon top roofs dedicated to Vishnu and Brahma. The external walls of these parivara shrines of the malika contain a verity of sculptures both Saivite and Vaishnavite of varied iconography and plastic art. The sculpture includes the Dikpalas, Ganesa, Saptamatrika, Chandesa and other parivara deities.

In front of the kailasanatha complex stands a row of dedicatory shrines of memorial vimanas, six to the left and two to the right of the main gopura entrance. The main objects of worship in these shrines are Dharalinga, with the Somaskanda
panel on the back wall. The exterior of the shrines also depict various saivite themes like somaskanda, Lingodbhava, Kalari, Yogamurthi, Gajasamhara, Tripurantaka, and Dakshinamurthi. Hara and others two of the North rows of shrines were gifted by two queens of Rajasimha the fifth in the row was clearly built by Rangapataka the favourite queen of Rajasimha.