Kailash Temple

Located at Ellora caves, the Kailash temple is world’s largest and most complicated rock cut architecture. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has been carved out of a single rock. It is believed that it took for over hundreds of years to scoop out 200,000 tons of rocks to bring the temple in shape.

The unique part of this temple is its architecture. Instead of creating underground halls, this temple has been carved vertically down on the rock. The architecture of the temple can be divided into four sections: the temple itself, the entrance grate, Nandi shrine and the passages surrounding the courtyard. The idol of Lord Shiva inside the temple is huge. It measures 109 ft wide and 164 ft tall.

The walls of the temple are adorned with images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, several animals related to Hindu mythology, characters from Purans, and various scenes from the two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The construction of Kailash temple dates back to 8th century.

The best time to visit Kailash Temple is in December, when an Indian classical music festival is held at Ellora.

Getting There: Ellora is well connected to all the major cities of Maharashtra. The nearest airport to Ellora is at Chikalthana which is 106 kms and is directly linked to Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur. Aurangabad is the closest railhead and directly connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, and Bhopal. Aurangabad is connected to all major cities and towns by roads. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation runs ordinary and luxury buses from here to Mumbai (392 kms)