Kailasa Temple
Ellora, Maharashtra, India
VerifiedDocumented history
- Deities
- Shiva
- Traditions
- shaiva
- Worship status
- active
- Address
- Ellora Caves, Verul village, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district, Maharashtra, India
- Coordinates
- 20.0258, 75.1794
- Darshan hours
- Varies by temple and season; consult the temple's own trust/management for the current daily schedule before visiting.
- Best time to visit
- October to March for cooler weather while exploring the site on foot.
- How to reach
- Ellora Caves are about 30 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), which has its own airport and railway station.
- Festivals
- Maha Shivaratri (February/March)
Location
Open in Google MapsCarved from a single mass of volcanic rock at the Ellora cave complex, the Kailasa Temple was excavated top-down โ sculptors began at the summit of the cliff face and worked downward, removing an estimated 200,000 tonnes of rock โ rather than built up from a foundation like a conventional structure. Built in the 8th century CE under the Rashtrakuta dynasty, primarily attributed to King Krishna I (r. 756-773 CE), it rises 32.6 meters above its courtyard and is carved with extensive relief panels depicting the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Part of the Ellora Caves UNESCO World Heritage Site (which also includes Buddhist and Jain excavations), it is widely regarded as the pinnacle of rock-cut architecture in India.
Sources
- historical record: Cross-checked against Wikipedia's Kailasa Temple, Ellora article: confirms 8th-century Rashtrakuta (King Krishna I) construction, top-down monolithic excavation method, height (32.6m), and UNESCO World Heritage status.