Kailash temple, located in the Ellora caves of Maharashtra, is one of the largest monolithic rock-cut shrine. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is known for its marvellous architecture.
The walls of the Kailash temple are carved with the sculptures of various Hindu gods and goddesses, and include mythological episodes from the Puranas, Mahabharata and Ramayana.
This image gallery brings together the architecture of the Kailash temple, with its gopuram (a monumental tower at the entrance of a Hindu temple), nandimandapa (pavilion of Shiva’s sacred bull Nandi), gudhamandapa (closed hall) and vimana (shrine), and the Shaiva sculptures carved on different parts of the temple. The selected sculptures highlight different aspects of Shiva: his aggressive forms like Tripurantakamurti and Gajantaka, benign forms like Kalarimurti and Ravananugrahamurti, and Shiva as Mahayogi (the great yogi), Lakulisha (the guru), Natesha and Ardhanrishvara.
