The Statue Temple

For eons, humans have craving for carving. Faiths, beliefs, likes, dislikes, Gods, demons. Humans have engraved almost anything, and everything. On ceilings. On walls. On fields. On rocks. Every generation proved their existence one way or the other. But then in the bygone period, a certain community devised an idea that was way ahead of its times. And to everyone’s surprise managed to bring it alive within an unbelievable time frame. Their evidence today lies in one of the veins of Maharashtra at Verul; today’s Ellora.

What made the then rulers to construct such a humongous chariot shaped monolithic structure could be the first question that could strike one’s mind. A little step further and the place transports one to 8th Century CE. The basalt rock seems to be robust and sturdy like it was centuries ago. The three seasons that arrive without fail for centuries had shown its might, yet the rock looked determined like a warrior to win any battle. But then irrespective of its immeasurable strength, the rocks couldn’t bear the sharpness of tools and the blows of hammers together used by humans to engrave their beliefs. As in-between their sturdy presence resides stories of sculptures that were carved aesthetically. All inspired by fables found in the bygone eras’ three distinct traditions: Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Every tradition is unique, yet knitted through legends whose tutelage is an incarnation of the other two traditions.

The entrance, the corners, the edges, the walls, all are engraved with creatures that have had a strong presence as a vahana of different Vedic & Non-Vedic Gods. On the rock’s skin they were embedded at measured gaps; unveiling designs worthy to be praised. Out of all the wildlife, elephant seems to have gained greater importance. Inside the temple's premise, two larger than life size elephants are erected to welcome the devotees: one standing without its trunk and the other one is just a pile of rock. Even the lower plinth of the shrine’s walls facing three sides: east, south and north are hewed with elephant-lion friezes holding the grand chariot aloft. 

So what must be going on in Rashtrakuta King - Krishna-I’s mind, when he took-up the onus to build a replica of Kailasa temple? Maybe, he was Lord Shiva’s devotee to the core and to express gratitude he must have authoritatively instructed his subjects to build an edifice of great stature. Or maybe, like every great ruler he too wanted to leave a legacy behind. Apparently, Raja was more fortunate to discover and employ brilliant architects & sculptors who executed a piece of art, which they only could think of.

The temple's Gopuram is ornamented with wild animals. Under its shelter sits Nandi on a porch facing eastwards, whose face is destroyed by time or by invaders, only the pillars and walls around could tell. Inside the sanctum, it was pitch dark. Borrowing lights from the Sun and then stepping in is futile. One has to wait at its entrance for a few seconds and then accumulate the rays that cut-through the temple’s darkness. The size and width of Linga is triple the size of twelfth Jyotirlinga - Grishneshwara, which is half-a-kilometre distance away from Ellora.

The sanctum echoes with silence but we humans like to strangulate its presence. Something that we never bothered to accept and follow over the years.

Behind the temple, on the same floor, are three detached shrines dedicated to three holy river goddesses - Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, overlooking the Deccan Traps of Charanandri Hills - the only silent witness till date who closely observed the formation and destruction of the sixteenth cave; the statue temple. 

P.S.: Unfortunately, caretakers got replaced by invaders, who had destroyed the splendour of antiquity. Today, the temple serves as an ideal Centre for Learning & Crafting Skills of two distinct yet related art professions - sketching and photography. The axis lines, the contour lines, the atmospheric perspective, the crosshatching, the hard edges, the composition, the depth of field, the exposure compensation, the rule of thirds, the white balance. One can revise and hone all the techniques. The classrooms are open for those who are open to learn.