Kailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace
Rashtrakuta (756–773 CE Krishna I)·Hindu Shaivite·🇮🇳 Maharashtra, India
About
About Kailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace
Kailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace in Maharashtra, India is a Rashtrakuta (756–773 CE Krishna I) rock_cut attributed to Hindu Shaivite. Northern mandapa terrace of Kailasa monolith with elephant gallery and Ganga-Yamuna pillar. Kailasa is world largest monolith 50 m long ex-carved from cliff top down 200,000 t rock.
Why it mattersKey Hindu Shaivite reference site for the Maharashtra
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Rock-cut chronology
- 02Chalcolithic sequence refinement
Theories
- 01Mahayana mural transmission
- 02Harappan sherd seriation
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 757 CE
- Period
- Rashtrakuta (756–773 CE Krishna I)
- Culture
- Hindu Shaivite
- Purpose
- Northern mandapa terrace of Kailasa monolith with elephant gallery and Ganga-Yamuna pillar
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 757 CE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Archaeological survey
On the ground
Structures & features
20.0260° N · 75.1790° E · 550 m · 3 mapped features
Kailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace — Chaitya Hall
chaityaRock-cut chaitya hall with vault and stupa
20.0262° N · 75.1791° EKailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace — Vihara Cells
viharaVihara monk cells with rock-cut beds
20.0258° N · 75.1792° EKailasa North Mandapa — Ellora Cliff Terrace — Façade Gavaksha
facadeHorseshoe gavaksha window carving
20.0264° N · 75.1788° E