Ellora Caves: The Glory Of The Rashtrakootas

by Anant Pai

The early history of India shows periods of peace in the land alternating with periods of strife and turmoil. Peace is made possible by the establishment of a powerful force at the centre, whose suzerainty is acknowledged by neighbouring vassal states. With peace comes progress and the development of the arts. The most significant power ever to rule for any length of time in central India was the Rashtrakoota dynasty, which held its sway for 200 years, from the eighth to the tenth century.This account narrates the beginning of the glorious Rashtrakoota Empire, and the sculpting of the unique and exquisite Kailasanath Temple, an outstanding tribute to Lord Shiva. Carved out of a single rock under the patronage of Emperor Krishna of Ellichpur, this temple in Ellora has withstood the ravages of time and history. Today, it continues to bear testimony to the splendid reign of the Rashtrakootas.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published February 14, 2011

About the author

Anant Pai popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and creator of Indian comics, in particular the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, along with the India Book House publishers, and which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children's anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, that lasted till 1998, with him as the Managing Director.

Today, Amar Chitra Katha sells about three million comic books a year, in English and more than 20 Indian languages, and has sold about 100 million copies since it inception in 1967 by Anant Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK Media.

Reviews

[Deepa T · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to read about how the famous Ellora Cave temple was built. A Rashtrakoota Queen refused to eat even a single morsel until she saw the top “kalasha” of the temple. To fulfill the vow, the temple was built from a single large rock - from the top down - so that the “kalasha” was completed first. I do wish the story was more well-fleshed out - even the name of the queen is not mentioned. However the rise to power of the Rashtrakoota empire is well explained. The Amar Chithra Katha books are such a treasure trove of Indian culture and history. Thank you, Uncle Pai. These comics are a great idea to introduce youngsters to Indian culture, mythology, folk tales, great scientists, historical figures and so much more.