The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c18.8

c18.8

The island, which is formed of a species of hard trap-rock about four and a half miles in circumference, consists of two long hills with a narrow valley between them. The great temple is carved out of the western hill, at a height of 250 feet above high-water level. It has three entrances: the principal one, opening to the central aisle (Pl. LIII), the end of which is filled by the Trimûrti, faces north—like the first cycle of monastic halls at Ajantâ. This northern aspect commands a splendid view over the sea and mainland, with the silhouette of the Western Ghats bounding the horizon.