Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/42

 22 JAINA ARCHITECTURE. BOOK V. The last king of the early Chalukyas, Kirtivarman II., ascended the throne A.D. 746, 1 and was deprived of all his dominions by Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta of Malkhed, by 757. It was probably, therefore, after that date that these Dravidian temple-forms were introduced by the Jains at Elura. The Kailas and other great 5aiva temples were excavated by these Rashtrakutas themselves a Dravidian race who carried their power up to the Narbada. Before leaving this branch of the subject there is one other rock-cut example which deserves to be quoted, not either for its size or antiquity, but from the elegance of its details. It is situated at a place called Kalugumalai in the Tinnevelly district, 2 27 miles south from 5rivilliputtur, and consequently 75 miles north from Cape Comorin. Like the examples at Mamallapuram, this one never was finished, probably because the person who commenced it did not live to complete it, and it was nobody's business to finish what was of no use, and intended only to glorify him who made it. It is not cut out of a separate boulder, but out of a ridge, as I fancy those at Mamallapuram to have been, and if successful, any number of others of any dimensions might have followed. The other side of the Kalugumalai hill had been occupied by the Jains, and numerous images of their Tirthankars are carved upon it, with inscriptions that supply the names of the villages by which the different figures were carved. This little temple is now dedicated to Subrahmanya, but is said to be originally Jaina ; it is probably of the loth or I ith century, and if it had been completed it would have been one of the most perfect gems of the style. For some reason unexplained it was only blocked out, and the upper part only carved, when it was abandoned, and is now entirely forsaken. 3 From its details, it certainly is more modern than the Kailas how much we cannot yet say with certainty. 1 * Bombay Gazetteer,' vol. i. pt ii. P- 376. a Several photographs of it are in the India office collection. 8 In the same rock is excavated a cave temple dedicated to Gane^a or Pillayar with a pradakshina passage round the shrine. ' Cave Temples of India,' p. 159; 'Indian Antiquary,' vol. ii. p. 202.