The Unexplained Indian Temple Carved From A Single Rock

Deep in Ellora, India, stands the Kailasa Temple, a structure so incredible it baffles scientists even today. Carved entirely from one massive rock, it's the world's largest monolithic structure. Imagine a mountain, as tall as a ten-story building and covering an area the size of a football field, being hollowed out from the top down. That's how this temple was made, with workers chipping away stone until only the temple remained. They removed about 200,000 tonnes of rock – that's enough to fill 11,000 trucks today! How did ancient people, using just hammers and chisels, create such a colossal monument? And where did all that removed rock go?

The Architectural Marvel Of Kailasa Temple

The Kailasa Temple, located about 30 km from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The entire temple complex was carved out of a single cliff face. It starts with the Gopuram (entrance), followed by the Nandi Mandap, Sabha Mandap, and the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). The towering 107-foot pinnacle is a testament to the original height of the mountain. At the base, elephants carved into the rock make it look like the temple is resting on their backs. The walls are adorned with intricate carvings depicting stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. What's truly astonishing is that there was no room for error. Any mistake in measurement or carving couldn't be fixed by adding stone back. This precision has led many to believe that humans alone couldn't have built it, suggesting alien or superhuman involvement. However, there's no evidence to back these theories.

Key Takeaways

• The Kailasa Temple is the world's largest monolithic structure, carved from a single rock.
• It was constructed by removing approximately 200,000 tonnes of rock.
• The construction method involved carving from the top down.
• Evidence suggests it was built using ordinary tools like hammers and chisels.
• The temple's construction is part of a long Indian tradition of rock-cut architecture.

The History Of Rock-Cut Architecture In India

Archaeologists have found clear evidence that ancient people built the Kailasa Temple using normal tools. Marks from tools used in ancient times have been found on the walls surrounding the temple, and analysis of the sculptures confirms they were made with ordinary tools like hammers and chisels. This wasn't a new skill; rock-cut monuments have a long history in India, starting centuries before the Kailasa Temple. This art form was developed by our ancestors over generations.

It began around 2,300 years ago in the 3rd century BCE with Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire, who commissioned the Barabar Caves for the Ajivika sect. These caves were carved from granite rocks and their walls were polished to be incredibly smooth and shiny. Later, between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE, the Ajanta Caves were built as prayer halls for Buddhist monks. During the Gupta period, from the 5th to 6th centuries CE, the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai were created, dedicated to Lord Shiva. A significant shift occurred in the 7th century CE when, for the first time, entire temples, not just caves, were carved from single rocks. The Pallava dynasty rulers built five such temples in Mahabalipuram, known as the Pancharathas. Finally, in the 8th century CE, Indian rock-cut architecture reached its peak with the construction of the Kailasa Temple at Ellora, carved from an entire mountain.

Who Built The Kailasa Temple?

While the sheer scale of the Kailasa Temple leads some to believe in alien or superhuman builders, archaeological evidence points to human ingenuity. Excavations in Baroda uncovered copper plate inscriptions granted by a king named Karka II. These inscriptions clearly state that the Kailasa Temple at Ellora was built by Krishna Raja, the second king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The Rashtrakuta Empire was one of ancient India's greatest empires, ruling from 753 to 982 CE.

However, there's a puzzle: Krishna Raja's reign lasted only from 756 to 774 CE, a mere 18 years. Building such a massive temple in such a short time seems impossible. German archaeologist Hermann Goetz theorised that the temple took 500 years to build. He noted ten different artistic styles within the temple, suggesting contributions from various periods and rulers. For instance, the Gaja Lakshmi panel at the entrance has a style different from the elephants and lions at the temple's base. Goetz believed these styles developed over centuries, indicating a much longer construction period involving multiple kings.

Goetz proposed that the construction began not with Krishna Raja, but with the first Rashtrakuta king, Dantidurga, in the 8th century, and continued through seven more kings until completion in the 13th century, spanning 500 years. This theory held sway for decades until 1982, when Indian archaeologist M.K. Dhavalikar published his paper, 'The Kailasa: The Stylistic Development and Chronology', challenging Goetz's findings.

The Timeline Of Construction

Dhavalikar argued that the Kailasa Temple could have been built in just 10 to 12 years. His theory suggests that after Krishna Raja ascended the throne in 756 CE, he waged war against the Chalukyas of Badami. Following a significant victory, he was deeply impressed by the Virupaksha Temple built by Chalukyan King Kirttivarman II. Krishna Raja then brought the sculptors and architects who built the Virupaksha Temple to Ellora as war spoils. These Chalukyan architects, along with local Rashtrakuta architects, collaborated to build the Kailasa Temple. This explains why the Kailasa Temple is almost a replica of the Virupaksha Temple, but double its size and carved from a single rock.

An interesting twist is that the artists Krishna Raja brought back weren't all Chalukyan. Some were Pallavans from Tamil Nadu, whom the Chalukyan king Kirttivarman had captured earlier. So, Krishna Raja inadvertently assembled a team of artists from the Pallava, Chalukya, and Rashtrakuta dynasties. The Chalukyan and Pallavan artists were experts in architectural design and sculpting, while the Rashtrakuta artists excelled in rock-cutting. Their combined expertise led to the creation of the magnificent Kailasa Temple. Dhavalikar's explanation for the varied artistic styles was not due to different kings, but the collaboration of artists from three different cultures and dynasties, each with their own sub-teams and styles.

How Was It Built So Quickly?

Ancient Indian texts like the 'Manasara', which detail architectural principles, help explain the rapid construction. Ancient architects, known as 'Sthapatis', selected suitable sites. They could identify good carving rock by striking it and listening to the sound. For the Kailasa Temple, they chose the basalt cliffs of Ellora. A blueprint of the temple was then created directly on the rock surface, similar to the Virupaksha Temple. The carving process began from the top down. To isolate a central mass of rock, three large trenches were dug around it. This was achieved by drilling a series of holes, inserting dry wooden wedges, and then wetting them. As the wood expanded, it created extreme pressure, causing the rock to crack precisely along the wedge lines. Once cracked, large hammers and drills were used to remove the rock. This process created trenches of specific dimensions, leaving a free-standing block ready for carving into the temple.

Dhavalikar estimated that about 2 million cubic feet of rock were removed to create these trenches. Assuming a worker could remove 4 cubic feet of rock per day, 250 workers could remove 1,000 cubic feet daily. Over a year, this amounts to 365,000 cubic feet, meaning the trenches could be dug in about 5 to 5.5 years. Importantly, the actual temple carving happened concurrently with the trench excavation. As parts of the central block became visible, another team began carving. Thus, within about 5.5 years, not only were the trenches ready, but the upper portion of the temple was significantly carved. The remaining 6 to 7 years were spent carving the rest of the temple, hollowing it out, creating sculptures, and finishing the details. This meticulous process, combining skilled labour and ancient techniques, allowed the Kailasa Temple to be completed in approximately 12 years.

The Mystery Of The Missing Rock

But what happened to the 200,000 tonnes of rock removed? Experts suggest logical explanations. The rock might have been used to build foundations for nearby paths or structures, or simply dumped into nearby valleys. However, no definitive evidence remains because the rock pieces were likely small. Over the past 1,300 years, erosion probably turned them into soil. The exact fate of these stones remains an unsolved mystery.