This massive temple was created by carving only a single mountain. It is said that the temple took 18 years to build. Do you know where it is located?
This stone temple is equal in size to the Taj Mahal built by Emperor Shah Jahan. Located within the Ellora caves in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India, this ancient temple is called the Kailasa Temple. Various opinions about the temple have been prevalent for years.
According to mythological accounts, the Kailasa Temple was built in the eighth century. To the entire world, it is the only 'monolithic' temple created by carving a single stone. It is the largest specimen of Rashtrakuta architecture.
This entire temple was created by cutting the mountain. No bricks or cement were used here. The temple was created by cutting vertically from the top to the bottom of a mountain.
It is assumed that the Kailasa Temple was built during the reign of Krishna I, the ruler of the Rashtrakutas. If observed carefully, intricate stonework can be seen on the roof, stairs, various pillars and walls of this temple.
Inside this temple, there are also Buddhist and Jain caves. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this temple is also called cave number 16 of Ellora in Maharashtra. 34 caves were created by cutting stone at Ellora, of which the Kailasa Temple falls under number 16.
Lord Mahadeva, the god of gods, resides in this temple. Sunlight reaches the peak of the temple. But sunlight cannot enter inside. As a result, the interior of the temple remains immersed in darkness.
The height of the temple is approximately 107 feet. The temple has three parts: the sanctum sanctorum, Nandi mandapa and mukha mandapa. It is popularly said that the temple was built by cutting approximately 3 lakh tons of stone. However, doubts still remain about its authenticity.
In 1682, Emperor Aurangzeb sent 1000 soldiers to demolish this temple. Despite trying to break it for 3 years, the soldiers failed. As a result, Aurangzeb finally withdrew his order to demolish the temple.
Throughout the temple, sculptures of Goddess Durga can be observed. There are sculptures of various forms of Shiva, Parvati, Lakshmi, Kali, and Vishnu's 10 avatars. All of them were created by cutting stone. How to get there? Fly from Kolkata to Aurangabad. From there, you can reach this temple by taxi. You can also reach Chalisgaon by train. The distance from there to the temple is 20-30 kilometers.
