Kailash Temple is situated at Ellora and is believed that it was constructed by excavating approx. 200,000 tones of rock and is possible the world's largest monolithic structure. Representing Shiva's Himalayan home, the temple is exquisitely sculpted and is considered as one of the most astonishing 'buildings' in the history of architecture. A crowning glory of the art, Kailash temple at Ellora is indeed unique. Instead of carving down into the face of a cliff and creating underground halls which had been the practice, the sculptors/architects set aside all convention and created a full temple, identical in every detail to a structural, 'built-up' example, by carving vertically down into the living rock.I was searching for some images of Mount Kailash, and in the process of searching, came across Kailash Temple.
I was surprised to see the pictures and the history of the temple located in midst of Ellora Caves. Immediately, decided to make a blog here.
This is added to the list of must visit places now. This place has to be visited in the next one year. else, I may never do that.
Some of the urls on net that give more info/pictures are as follows:
http://www.samadhihermitage.org/Blissbook-Pages/Image27.html
http://www.indhistory.com/hindu-temple/hindu-temple-kailash-temple.html
http://www.cultureholidays.com/Temples/kailash.htm
http://www.travel-pictures-gallery.com/imagepagesind10.html
http://www.ou.edu/class/ahi1113/html/ch-03-1.htm
http://www.anthroarcheart.org/tblo72.htm
I also came across some more intresting things related to India, Vedic culture, Hinduism, etc. Will blog them also here after studying them completely.
In the mean time, an extract from one of the above sites:
The depiction of the demon Ravana shaking Mount Kailash is a masterpiece contain the scenes of semi-mythological history, the royal court and popular life of the ancient times, as told in romances and plays. Some pictures recall the Greek and Roman compositions and proportions, few late resemble to Chinese manners to some extent. But majority belongs to a phase which is purely Indian as they are found no where else. These monuments were constructed during two different periods of time separated by a long interval of four centuries. The older ones were the product of last to centuries before Christ and belongs to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the fourth general council under another great king, Kanishka.
