Conjeeveram, Kailasanath Temple, general view

Another very important Pallavan monument is one of the many Kailasanaths, Temples of the Holy Mountain dedicated to Siva. Mt. Kailasa was the legendary birthplace and abode of the god located high in the Himalayas. The Kailasanath at Conjeeveram (also known as Kanchi) is the first of a series of three such temples illustrating another phase in the development of all Indian sculpture and architecture, not simply the southern styles. A repetition of architectural units is employed at the conjeeveram Temple: for example, the entrance gate and screen before the main sanctuary are re-used in terms of their 'gateway' function in the porch of the sanctuary. The main shrine itself is rendered in typical southern style as a stepped pyramid. Additional features, beyond the Shore Temple for instance, show more use of the mushroom shaped capstone along the top of the enclosure walls, and a greater, more realistic development of the horizontal rows of miniature lookout posts on the tower. The capstone itself has been greatly elaborated and is a decorative variation on the 'brimming vase' (purna-kalasa), which, as S. Lee feels, is the original source of the capstone forms. The temple complex, with its particular use of gate, tower, main temple and enclosure, is the first of its kind in such proportions at Conjeeveram and is copied almost literally at another Kailasanath at Pattadakal. (See slides 19-21). -- About 700