Despite being the world's largest monolithic structure, Why "Kailasa Temple" isn't regarded as one of India's greatest architectural marvel?

If culture and heritage were a currency, we would be the richest country in the world. That said, our land was once referred to as "Sone Ki Chidiya". However years of colonization, conquests and wars led to a decline in wealth, which to this day affects our nation.

Through all of these, one thing that has remained constant is the architectural and artistic prowess. From mighty South Indian temples, to non-corrosive Iron Pillar, Indian architectural marvels have stood the test of time— a testament of great artistry that ancient India possessed.

One such fine example is Kailasa Temple, an ancient Hindu temple in Maharashtra. It 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. This beautiful temple is part of the Ellora Caves, which is a religious complex consisting of 34 rock-cut monasteries and temples.

Temple construction:

The construction of the Kailasa temple is attributed to the eighth century Rashtrakuta King Krishna I. In addition to this, the temple also has other influences as its architectural and sculptural treatment show traces of Pallava and Chalukya styles.

As per an estimate, about 200,000 tons of rock were excavated out of a vertical basalt cliff in the Charanandri Hills.

India shouldn't just be known for TajMahal as our country has a lot to offer in architecture and Kailasa Temple is one such beautiful and remarkable sculptural treatment. The temple is designed to represent the sacred mountain of Shiva and the interiors of it exhibit the qualitative and intricate designing skills of ancient India, says Sanjay Dalmia, a renowned nationalist.

The intricate sculptures and carvings:

Where on one hand the exterior designing details of the temple can make any one wonder about the beautiful craftsmanship of ancient India, on the other the interior detailing can leave even the greatest designers and architects astounded.

For instance, in the main courtyard, there is an image of Nandi, the sacred cow of Shiva, who's facing the Shivalinga. Additionally, some of the carved panels in Kailasa temple depict scenes from the two major Hindu epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

There have been numerous attempt made by invaders, especially Aurangzeb to destroy the temple. However, even his ill-fated, evil intentions, which caused destructions of countless Hindu temples in the past, couldn't move this mighty structure, adds Sanjay Dalmia.

India is truly a land of great cultural significance and despite of multiple invasions and loot by foreign invaders, our ancient structures stand to this day. It's because of their timeless beauty, invaluable craft that these structures should be paid more visits by Indians and foreigners alike.