Kailasanathar Temple

R. Nagaswamy has recently published a very interesting booklet on the Kailasanathar temple. He claims that it was built according to the prescription of the Agamas in the Paramasayi pada type with 81 squares considered suitable for worship by kings (see Notes on the Kailasanathar Temple).

The Vastu-pada-devatas found here are said to include the Dik-palas, Ekadasa-Rudras, Dvadasa Adityas, Parivara devatas and a large number of deities (the largest number in any single temple of this period) of the Hindu pantheon, Saivite or Yaishnavite.

Another unique feature of this temple is the erection of seven ‘anga-alayas’ (limb-shrines) attached to the sanctum built round it and providing support to the vimana. These open out east or west and are adorned both inside and on the outer walls with Saivite deities. The chief sculptures in the anga-alayas are the Samhara-Tandava of Siva, Somaskanda in the shrine chamber with Siva flanked by Brahma and Vishnu on the back walls, Bhikshatanar, Gangadharar and Tripurantakar.

The outer walls of the main shrine are covered with large figures in bays filling the whole of the wall-space. The chief deities on these outer walls and the exterior of the walls of the anga-alaya areGaja-Lakshmi, Rishabhavahanadevar, Yoga-Dakshinamurti, Lingod-bhavar, Vinadharar, Urdhva-Tandavar, Gaja-Samhara-murti, Hariharar, Simha-vahini, Jyeshtha-devi and Lakshmi.

There was a detached mandapa later connected with the sanctum. The sanctum and its open court are enclosed by a madil consisting of a large number of chapels, whose exterior overlooking the prakara are covered with sculptures of vastu-pada-devatas.

There are two gateways in the eastern and western sides. What was meant to be the front gopuram with a sala type sikhara was converted into an additional shrine by Mahendravarman III, the son of Rajasimha, the builder of the main shrine. On the front of the entrance there are eight shrines, two on the south and six on the north of the entrance built most probably by the queens (there is evidence at least for two of them).

Away from the main entrance, there is a sculpture of Nandi on a raised platform, over which there should have been a covered mandapa of which only the pillars exist now. Vestiges of a small sacred tank can also be seen in front of the Nandi mandapa.

The temple was the source of inspiration for the Chalukyan temple of Virupaksha at Pattadakkal, and in turn for the Rashtrakuta rock-temple of Kailasa at Ellora.

There are a few more temples in Kanchi which could be assigned to this period (8th century a.d.), the Tri-purantakesvaram, the Matangesvaram (unfinished), the Piravadana Isvaram and the Iravasthana Isvaram, all more or less of the same type.

Notes on the Kailasanathar Temple

The Kasyapa Silpa Sastra mentions the Nava-navamsa of 81 padas; the central 9 padas are assigned to Brahmadeva; in the next order there are 16 padas, and 49 in the next ring. The marginal ring constitutes 32 padas. The devatas mentioned in this Silpa text are the dik-palas and other devatas, different from those found in this temple.

Brahma is found in a Central Cell of the southern wall of enclosure, and Vishnu in a corresponding Cell of the northern wall of enclosure. Their positions are peculiar and different from the general practice followed in the early Chola age.

The dik-palas find their lodgement in the koshtas on the outer side of the gopurams in the later Chola period, as in the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.

We are not at present in a position to say which Agama or Silpa Sastra, if any, was followed in planning the construction of the Kailasanathar temple.