The vertical excavation from top to bottom showcases an exquisite engineering feat, removing 200,000 tons of basalt and leaving behind central ideas and legends of Hinduism from Vedic era through about 700 CE.
The temple is enormous, measuring about 300 feet long, 175 feet wide, and 107 feet high. It is shaped like a chariot and represents Mount Kailash, Shiva's abode.
The central shrine houses a colossal Shiva Lingam, surrounded by finely carved panels depicting Hindu deities with extraordinary detail. The imposing Nandi Mandapa contains a massive statue of Shiva's bull, adding notable grandeur to the entrance pavilion.
The courtyard's U-shaped arcade includes effective columned galleries with richly decorated reliefs from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Other narrative relief panels on the walls and along the halls present dynamic scenes with notable iconographic precision and aesthetic fluency. Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Vedic deities are all found in the panels of Kailasa.
The overall design reflects a breakthrough in rock-cut architecture. The Kailasa temple is evidence of extraordinary engineering and artist skills completed brilliantly by Indian craftsmen by the 8th-century.
The Kailasa temple at Ellora is one of the highlights of Ellora caves. Nearby the Ajanta Caves, 60 miles northeast, is another masterpiece displaying India's Buddhist heritage.