The Kailasa Temple was built in the 8th century in Aurangabad, India. It was carved out of a single rock cliff and took over 400,000 tons of rock to complete. The temple complex consists of four parts - the body of the temple, an entrance gateway, an intermediate Nandi shrine, and cloisters surrounding a courtyard. It is considered one of the largest monolithic structures in the world and was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1983.

2. INTRODUCTION
• LOCATION –AURANGABAD,
MAHARASTRA
• BUILT IN -8TH CENTURY BY
RASTRAKUTA KING KRISND 1.
• STYLE – DRAVIDIAN
ARCHITECTURE

3.  ARCHITECTS WERE FROM THE SOUTH INDIAN
PALLAVA KINGDOM.
 IT IS A MONOLITIC STRUCTURE , NOTABLE
FOR IT’S VERTICAL EXCAVATION, CARVER’S
STARTED AT THE TOP OF THE ORIGINAL
ROCK, AND EXCAVATED DOWN WARD.
 IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 400,000 TONS
OF ROCKS WAS SCOOPED OUT OVER
HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF CONSTRUCT IT OUT
OF A SINGLE ROCK.

4. THE SCHEME OF KAILASA RESOLVES INTO FOUR
PARTS.
1. BODY OF THE TEMPLE
2. ENTRANCE GATEWAY
3. AN INTERMEDIATE NANDI SHRINE
4. CLOSTERS SURROUNDING THE COURTYARD

5.  ON EACH SIDE THE
COURTYARD
SUPPLEMENTARY
CHAMBERS HAVE BEEN
EXCAVATED.
 THERE ARE TWO FREE
STANDING PILLARS,
DHWAJASTAMBHAS, 51
FEET HIGH, ONE ON EACH

7.  The first stage of work was simple . It
consisted in excavating out if the hillside three
huge trenches at right angles , cut down
vertically to the level of the base of the hill ,
thus forming a rectangle 300 feet by 175 feet.
 The main body of the temple occupies a
parallelogram approx.150 feet by 100 feet
with sections of its sides projecting at intervals
, like transpects , to support corresponding
projecting features above.

8.  PLINTH APPEARS LIKE
GROUND STORY, WHICH
IS 25 FEET HIGH.
 CENTRAL SPACE OF THE
SIDES IS OCCUPIED BY A
GRAND FRIEZE OF
BOIDLY CARVED
ELEPHANYS & LIONS.

9.  There is no pronounced departure
from the conventional combination
of the mandapa and the vimana.
 Architectural elements such as
cornices , and porticos have been
assembled orderly and artistic
manner to form a unified whole.

10. The interior consists of a
pillared hall.
This hall is a well-proportioned
compartment measuring 70
feet by 62 feet.
Having 16 square piers in
groups of 4 in each quarter.

11. There is a nandi shrine
standing on a 25 feet
square solid pavilion.
A living rock bridge
connects the Nandi
Mandap to the porch of
the temple

12.  The walls of the temple tell the
story of the epic Ramayana
through intricate, illustrative
carvings.
 Apart Lalibela, Ethiopia and
Mahabalipuram ; it is the finest
example of free-standing
carved-out, rock-cut
architecture in the world

13.  One of the biggest
monolithic structure
in the world.
 Awarded as a
UNESCO world
Heritage site 1983.