Kailasa Temple at Ellora: History, Architecture, Legends and mysterious.
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| Kailash temple (Ellora cave no 15) at Verul Sources Wikipedia |
Introduction
Kailasa Temple is
a rock-cut architectural masterpiece, one of the biggest of its it kind in the
world, situated at Ellora, in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. This is a
unique Indian temple and a Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva. It is the
largest of the 34 Ellora caves and a big tourist, archaeologist and researcher
attraction. Not only is it a religious temple but it demonstrates the splendor
of ancient Indian engineering and art to the world.
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| Ground plan of the temple Sources Wikipedia |
Location
Kailasa Temple
stands at Ellora in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, which is a current
UNESCO World Heritage site. It occupies the cave number 16 of the total number
of thirty-four caves in Ellora and is most impressive of all the caves.
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| Kailasha Temple from the rock behind it Sources Wikipedia |
The founder
King Krishna I of
Rashtrakuta dynasty was the founder of the Kailasa temple. He ruled from 756 to
773 AD. It was under his reign that preparations of the construction of the
Kailasa temple started by the carving of this monumental rock in cave number 16
at Ellora. The legend says that the queen of the king fell sick and he vowed to
construct a temple like the Mount Kailash in honor of lord Shiva in case she
would get better. This is what King Krishna had promised, and this is the
reason why first this outstanding project was undertaken. This made the Kailasa
temple not just a beacon of religious worship of the Rashtrakutas but their
construction, carving and engineering skills as well.
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| Shikhara Sources Wikipedia |
History
Kailash Temple is
dated as 8th century at the time of Rashtrakuta Empire. The building of this
great temple began with Emperor Krishna I (r. 756-773 AD). It is said that on
the occasion when the queen of the king became ill, he vowed that on condition
of Lord Shiva providing her a cure, he would construct a magnificent temple
such as the mountain of Kailash. In order to keep that promise the king
commissioned the building of this temple. The temple was constructed by hewn
out of one large rock which is itself a exception when it comes to
architecture. Researchers suppose that nearly one-hundred years were spent on
its construction and thousands of craftsmen and laborers labored. The
sculptures and decorations of the temple have the scenes in the Ramayana and
Mahabharata, which testifies to the quality of the art forms of the period.
This Kailasa temple, located in Cave No. 16 of the Ellora Caves, still leaves
the world stupefied by its rich display of the religious zeal and the
engineering prowess of the Rashtrakutas.
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| Mandapa roof Sources Wikipedia |
The Kailasanath Temple has features.
Kailashnath Temple
is among the most unbelievable architectural creations not only of Ellora but
the entire India. Its features are: • Hewn of a block of stone. The whole
temple is cut into a massive rock cliff which is among the largest monolithic
buildings in the world.
a. A large size.
Measures of the temple are about 164 feet in length, 200 feet in width and 96
feet in height. About 2,00,000 tons of stones were removed in carving this
temple.
b. Replica of Mount Kailash This temple has
been provided with a shape resembling Mount Kailash, the residence of Lord
Shiva and thus it is referred to as Kailasanath Temple.
c. The
magnificence of the architecture. The temple comprises of a big sanctum
sanctorum, a mandapa, a mandapa and a porch. The work is adorned with detailed
carvings and sculptures on each piece.
d. The art of
sculpture The Ramayana and the Mahabharata scenes, figures of gods, animal and
bird symbols and elaborate decoration are sculpted on the walls of the temple.
e. Nandi Temple
Out in front of the temple, a separate mandap exists of Nandi, the chariot of
Lord Shiva.
f. The
architecture. The carving here is also different in that other temples began
their work at the top and then continued downwards whereas this one began at
the top and then proceeded downwards. Such construction remains a puzzle.
Kailasanath Temple is claimed to be a rare treasure of the ancient Indian
architecture and engineering due to all these features.
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| Arcades Sources Wikipedia |
Behind the Kailash Temple.
Kailash temple also has numerous folktales and
this fact makes this great structure even more enigmatic. Among the most liked
tales is: After the Rashtrakuta king had fallen terribly ill his queen. He
promises that in case Lord Shiva will provide him with the medicine, he will
erect a temple just like the one found on Mount Kailash, the home of Shiva. To
keep this promise I commissioned the architects to construct the temple out of
a gigantic rock. On the one hand, as the story tells, the architects began to
hewn at the top downward, rather than upward at the bottom, in order that the
roof of the temple might be in view as soon as possible when the queen should
again be well and the promise obtainable. The Kailash temple is said to be the
only rock cut construction in the world that is constructed downwards upwards.
Although it is debatable that this story is true, it has added more mystery and
historical value to this temple.
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| Front view Sources Wikipedia |
The Riddle of the Kailash Temple.
Among historians
and archeologists, there are numerous mysteries and wonders surrounding the
Kailash temple. How did it happen that such a vast rock could be cut and so
good and perfect a carving made? So great a quantity of stone was removed,--and
by how many craftsmen? With modern technology how would we do this with a short
time? These questions cannot be answered with specific answers and up to date,
thus the mystery of the Kailash temple has only intensified.
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| Ramayana panel Sources Wikipedia |
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| Mahabharata panel Sources Wikipedia |
Conclusion
Kailash Temple is
a religious place as well as a magnificent illustration of early Indian
architecture, engineering and art. This temple was constructed on the reign of
the Rashtrakuta emperor Krishna I and was created as a replica of Mount
Kailash, home of the Lord Shiva. Historians and archeologists are yet to
uncover the mystery of its construction since it was carved out of one rock.
The great art of ancient Indians can be seen in scenes of Ramayana and
Mahabharata, images of Lord Shiva-Parvati and various sculptures on walls of
the temple. Its magnificence, finely carved carvings and distinct engineering
styles give it one of the most astonishing architectures in the world. Today it
is UNESCO World Heritage site and is visited annually by thousands of local and
international tourists. Thus, this is not just a very old architecture, but a
significant treasure of Indian legacy and imagination, the Kailash Temple.
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