A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c21.72

c21.72

Not long after the Shore temple came the Kailāsanātha at Kāñchipuram built mostly in the reign of Rājasimha though the actual completion of the structure owed something to his son Mahendravarman. In its original form, the temple consisted of a sanctuary with its pyramidal *vimāna* and a detached pillared hall or *maṇḍapa* in front, the whole enclosed in a rectangular courtyard by a high wall composed of cells. The *maṇḍapa* and the sanctuary were joined together centuries later by an intermediate *ardhamaṇḍapa* which has spoiled the total effect. The sanctum and the *vimāna* conform to the type of the Dharmarāja *ratha* except for the subsidiary shrines. These are seven in number, one at each angle of the sanctum and one in the middle of each free side, and they add greatly to the beauty of the whole. All the main features of the Pallava style are assembled together in this temple in a very fascinating way. The cells in the interior of the enclosing wall which bear traces of painting, ‘the design of the wall itself with its parapet of cupolas’, the sturdy pillars of the *maṇḍapa* and the constant repetition of the lion pilaster, all fit into the scheme admirably. The *vimāna* is a further development from that of the Shore temple and is at once substantial and well-proportioned. The entrance to the courtyard is by means of small openings on the sides of a large subsidiary temple, the Mahendravarmeśvara, built in such a manner as to suggest the beginnings of the *gōpuram*. The builders of the Kailāsanātha temple would seem to have exercised some thought in selecting their building materials as its foundations are of granite and able to carry a great weight, while sandstone was used for the sculptured superstructure. The action of time has rendered many repairs necessary and these have not always been effected with discrimination.