Learn about the history, architecture, and sculpture of the Kailasa temple , a magnificent rock-cut Hindu temple at Ellora, India. Discover how it was carved from a single cliff, who built it, and what influences it reflects. The Kailasa Temple has been dubbed as ‘Cave 16’ of the Ellora Caves, and is notable for being the largest monolithic structure in the world that was carved out of a single piece of rock. Apart from the temple ’s impressive size, it is also remarkable for its sculptures, as well as for the fine workmanship of its other architectural elements. The Kailash or Kailashnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at Ellora Caves on the Sahyadri Hills near Aurangabad in Maharashtra is the largest rock-cut Hindu temple in the world. Of the 100 caves here, 34 are open to the public and cave number 16 is the massive Kailasa Temple , which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest single stone excavations in the world. Carved vertically from top to bottom of a single basalt rock on the Charandri hills, the temple is a unique ... The temple ’s design is believed to represent Mount Kailash , the abode of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas. Its vertical excavation technique, where craftsmen worked from the top down, is a unique aspect that continues to baffle modern engineers.
