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UNESCO World Heritage
ASI Protected
Kailasanatha Temple (Ellora Cave 16)
Also known as: Kailasa Temple
Ellora, Maharashtra
8th Century CE
The most extraordinary rock-cut temple in the world, carved top-down from a single basalt cliff by order of Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. An estimated 200,000 tons of rock were removed to create this monolithic representation of Mount Kailasa, Shiva's abode. It is twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens.
Source: Aitihasik heritage database. Use this as a field guide and verify sensitive historical claims before citation.
Details
- Dynasty
- Rashtrakuta
- Style
- Vesara / Rock-cut monolithic
- Primary Deity
- Shiva (Kailasanatha)
- Languages
- Marathi, Sanskrit
- Scripts
- Devanagari, Sanskrit
Historical Significance
Largest monolithic rock excavation in the world. Carved top-down from a single cliff face. An estimated 200,000 tons of rock removed. Twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens
Architectural Features
Monolithic multi-story structure carved from one rockFree-standing Nandi mandapaMassive Ravana-shaking-Kailasa panelLife-size elephant and lion sculptures at baseBridge connecting Nandi mandapa to main temple