The Kailash or Kailasanatha temple is one of the largest rock-cut ancient Hindu temples located in Ellora, Maharashtra, India.
What makes the Kailasa temple at Ellora so special? This (Below) isn’t too different from the Belur or Hampi architecture, really. So what is it that makes this so grand?
The Kailasa temple in Ellora caves (the whole area) is carved out of a single rock! That’s right. All of it, was a singular stone at a point, which was hollowed out into what we know as the Kailasa Temple. I am not even going to go into the amount of effort and perseverance that would have taken.
The Kailash temple at Ellora was built by the Rashtrakuta Dynasty as a temple for Lord Shiva and was supposedly designed to mimic Mount Kailash. The pyramidal structure of the main temple is said to represent the shape of Mount Kailash.
Do not miss the view from the top of the rock; A little climb could get you to see this. The massive scale of it all.
The sculpture of Ravana trying to lift Mount Kailash is a definitive landmark in Indian Architecture. There are multiple sculptures around, and like the sign at the entry says, each of them have a definitive legacy.
The temple was carved top down. That’s hard to fathom- that something as elaborate as this as done with just chisels and Hammers. Three different types of chisels and men hammering away- that’s a pretty incredible sight, I presume.
It has the largest cantilevered rock ceiling in the world. That’s some feat for a temple as old as 757 AD.
Archaeology is a tough subject. It becomes all the more daunting when you have verifiable facts like the number of types of chisels actually used to carve this megalith- three! It is also believed that more than four hundred thousand tons of rock were scooped out to build the Kailasa temple in Ellora caves. It is larger in area than the Pantheon in Greece.
The famed rock pillar, which is usually the image on all tour pamphlets of this place, is a sight to behold. It is known as the Dhwajasthamba.
The Kailasa Temple is part of the Ellora caves. Easily one of the grander places around, it can take a significant amount of time to view the temple in its entirety. A guidebook is recommended.
Photo Credits: All photos are of respective owners.