Page 9 - apr-Jun 2020

VOL. 17 No. 2
Enchanting Ellora

POEM IN PRAISE!
Ellora was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It is located in Aurangabad,
ऐलापुर - आचला - गत - अद्भूता -
dated between 600–1000 CE. It is known for rock-cut monasteries and temples. The
सिन्नवेसम यद् िवकास्य िविस्मता
caves are carved on the local basalt rock. There are 34 caves found here. Caves 1-12
are Buddhist caves, 13 – 29 are Hindu caves, and 30-34 are Jain caves. These extend िवमाना चर अमरेन्द्रः
to over more than 2 kms. (That King) by whom a temple on
Hansine Tripathi, VIII B, Global Indian International School, Ahmedabad; Tanya Prasad Aloorkar, XII, River Dale the hill at Elāpura of wonderful
High School, Aurangabad structure was constructed, which
CASE STUDY 1 - VISWAKARMA CAVE astonished even the immortals
who move in celestial cars.
Cave 10 is the most notable of the 12 Buddhist caves here. This cave is known as
- Karka II, Rashtrakuta King
Viswakarma cave or Sutar ki Jhopdi. This was a chaitya worship hall. It is also known as
the Carpenter’s Cave, as the fi nish of the work and the use of beam-like structures gives
it a wooden appearance. The cave had a 15 foot statue of the sitting Buddha.

ROOF FRIEZES
Intricately carved to look like Two belts of carvings- the lower
wooden ribs shorter belt of ganas or dwarfs
and the upper deeper belt of the
Buddha with attendants.
BUDDHA IMAGE
STUPA
In front of the stupa, there is a large
sculpture of a sitting Buddha, with Beyond the inner temple is the
attendants and dwarfs, under a stupa, which is 27 feet high and 16
Bodhi tree. feet in diameter.

INNER TEMPLE ECHOING VOICES! PILLARS
There are 28 pillars. They are
This inner temple is 85 feet in length, It is believed that if you visit Cave 10 octagonal in shape.
43 feet wide, and 34 feet high. in the morning, voices echo 3 to 4
times for at least a minute. COSMIC CONNECT!
CASE STUDY 2 - KAILASA TEMPLE
It is believed that the axis from
This is located at Cave number 16. Krishna I wanted a temple like the Virupaksha the linga in the garbha-griha to
Temple, but three and a half times larger! It was built in just 17 years. It has a unique the fi nial (the ornament at the
carving of Manmathan (Cupid) looking at Shiva and Parvati. Percy Brown considered top of the dome) is a connection
this construction to be a daring feat, comparing it to the intricate art of ivory carving. between the earth and heaven.

MAIN SHRINE
It is designed as a vimana, with DHWAJASTAMBHA
a garbha-griha and mandapa. These are two free-standing
It is laid out in the east-west monolithic pillars fl anking the
orientation, with entry from Nandimandapa. They are 51 feet
the west. high and have the Shiva trident
on them.

ENTRANCE NANDIMANDAPA

The huge entrance gate was said to be made of Vengai (God’s
Illustration by: Advitee This is a two-storeyed structure
tree) hardwood, with iron knobs in diff erent patterns, which
Dhananjay Deshmukh, VI,
could hit enemy elephants charging at the gate. M.G.M. Sanskar Vidyalay, connected to the main temple with
Aurangabad bridges and gateways.
M. Roshan, VII B, Glazebrooke Public School, Reddiyur, Salem

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