Overview
Kailasa Temple of Ellora caves or also known as Kailasanath Temple and Kailash Temple. All these are the different names for the same structure.
The structure is a temple dedicated to the deity Lord Shiva. The Kailasa temple is located in the world-famous Ellora caves, located in the state of Maharashtra, India. While the structure is not only a rock-cut structure but it is considered to be the most influential and praised temple because of its construction technology and unbelievable facts.
So, Let’s Just find out what’s so special in it.
Basics of Kailasa temple of Ellora?
Kailasa temple is the largest of all 34 temples dedicated to the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist, all collectively known as Ellora caves. The caves of Ellora is a World Heritage declared by UNESCO but is majorly famous for the cave no. 16 which contains the Kailasa temple.
This temple was constructed in the period of 756-773 AD in the reign of Rastrakuta king Krishna I. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, It is the largest ever structure here.
What is the specialty of Kailasa temple, Ellora?
Here is list that will answer all your queries.
- The temple is almost 150 feet deep carved from a single rock, now you just imagine that carving out such a huge structure from a single rock and that too in the eighth century. Was it possible to do then?
- Scientists say that the whole building is carved out but using only minimalistic manual tools like chisel and hammer. Well, it is just mind-blowing to see such great workmanship without any advanced machines, especially today when the art and craft are not given the importance it needs.
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- Kailasa temple a megalith is carved out from a single rock but what does it mean? By the way, the Engineer inside me wants to make you understand. ha-ha. You may have seen construction going on in your houses, what we do is that we build the pillars then go for roofs and beams which means that we join them together and that too when we have all the powers to make it as we want. But in the Kailasa temple, not even a single joint is provided.
- The temple is the only of its type in the world built using a technology that had never been used anywhere in the world and would not be used. Every rock-cut structure is built using Rock cut-in technology. In which stones are carved from the front but the Kailasa temple is carved using the exact opposite technology named Cut-out. All the stones were removed from the rock itself to give it a shape of a temple.
- Now think, how the rooms, columns, bridges, and balconies were carved, It’s just astonishing and shocking.
- As per the studies, this temple at Ellora was built in just 18 years and at least 400000 tons of rock was removed from the temple but the shocking part is that as per this calculation only the stones removal would turn out to be 60 tons a day and 5 tons per hour except the workmanship. Also, this huge amount of removed rock is never found in the vicinity of the temple.
- Because of all these things some scientists and intellectuals raise the question of whether the temple was seriously built by humans or some superhumans built this. Well, I believe, It could seem impossible to build such a huge unprecedented structure but in India, we had that capability when no one else had.
- The fun part is that in 1682 a Muslim ruler Aurangzeb hired some men and ordered to destroy the great Kailasa temple of Ellora but even after giving three years to demolish this temple he could not achieve what he desired. Now think, Even after 3 years someone could only damage some figures carved outside the temple.
Here were some facts about the Kailasa temple that will definitely make you curious to visit this marvelous temple.
How to Reach Kailasa Temple.
Located 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. From Aurangabad, it is easily accessible via bus and taxies.
Aurangabad also has a dedicated airport if you want to come here via air. After that, there is decent connectivity between Ellora and Aurangabad.
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Conclusion
Kailasa temple of Ellora is a gem for India’s culture and It’s greatness. It reflects our quality workmanship and the technology that only we had. The only of it’s kind and that is in India. Kailasa temple is not just a temple it is a case study for everyone. Travelers around the world come here to witness this temple. When you are going?