The place that history and science CAN T explain Kailasa Temple EP 09 Did You Know

Hi guys and welcome to another episode of the Did You Know series from the Immortal India podcast. In today's video we'll be discussing the story of one of the most awe-inspiring wonders of the ancient world, the Kailash temple located in Ellora, Maharashtra. Trust me, pictures and videos don't do justice to this immense structure. I have visited it, I have seen it with my own eyes. It is huge. It is nearly as big as the Taj Mahal and built nearly a thousand years earlier to when the Taj Mahal was constructed. But what makes this temple truly special is that unlike most other large monuments, the Kailash temple wasn't built from the ground up. It was actually carved downwards from a massive hill. An entire huge temple actually carved downwards. Can you imagine that? It's mind-blowing. Let's find out more. Some people say that it is an example of extraterrestrial technology, this Kailash temple, or in simple terms, it belongs to the aliens. For many Westerners, particularly during the colonial era, it was difficult to believe that ancient Indians could have had great achievements like awesome temples or Vedic literature or anything else. So they either invented theories like Aryan invaders, suitably white-skinned Aryan invaders from Eastern Europe coming to India to create the immense Vedic literature theory. And when they couldn't give credit to suitably white-skinned foreigners, then bizarre theories came up, like the aliens made it. Of course, ancient Indians made it, but how? Let's explore the story of this awesome masterpiece of a temple. To start with, the Kailash temple is the largest monolithic structure in the world. Literally a global marvel, a wonder of the world. It has literally been carved. The temple stands 96 feet high, spreads 300 feet in length and 175 feet in width. It's like carving an entire football field out of one piece of stone. To make it, craftsmen had to excavate and carve out about 2 lakh tons of basalt rock. And remember, they could not make even one mistake with the carvings or the excavations because you cannot bring in another pillar to build up. Basically, you are carving 200,000 tons of basalt rock and not one mistake. And there's another twist. Nobody knows where those 200,000 tons of basalt rock are. It's as if the rock just disappeared, the excess rock. I assume it was safely disposed away, something we modern Indians cannot seem to do even with light plastic waste. If ancient craftsmen could pull this off in the 8th century without modern machines, why can't we create it today? Think about it. With all our modern tools and technology, would this still be possible? There's the Agama Shastra. It has to be aligned to the way, to directions, to the way the skies are. The Kailash temple was built in the 8th century by Raja Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty as a dedication to Lord Shiva, showcasing devotion and architectural brilliance. Some historians believe that the temple's construction started during Raja Danti Durga's reign and Raja Krishna I completed this monumental task because these experts believe that a marvellous beauty of this size could not have been built under a single king's reign. It must have taken longer than one generation. It stands as a marvel of ancient craftsmanship and vision. This Kailash temple is like a whole book, an encyclopedia of Hindu itihas and traditions, a book in which each page holds a story worth retelling. It features carvings of epic tales like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata alongside depictions of deities, celestial beings and legendary creatures. Also, the carvings of the elephants here beautifully symbolise how these elephants hold the weight of the temple on their back. It's beautiful and it's it was one rock so it shouldn't be load-bearing. Sorry, I don't know architecture as well. It won't be load-bearing but it works. It does the task of a pillar so elegantly. It's not just a pillar, it's actually an elephant. An entire culture depicted flawlessly and exquisitely in cultures. Just wow. In 1682, the Mughal Temurid Emperor decided to destroy the Kailash temple. He sent a thousand soldiers to tear it down. Guess how long they tried? Three years. Three whole years and they couldn't even make a dent in the main structure. The Mughal soldiers managed to damage a few sculptures here and there but the temple itself? Nope. Wo insaan toot gaye par patthar ke pahar se tarasha hua ye mandir nahi toota. It's almost as if the temple was built to survive everything, time, erosion, natural calamities and even human aggression. It is a symbol of strength, determination and the brilliance of ancient Indian engineering along with their bhavna, prem and vishwas on their god, on our god. This temple isn't just an architectural wonder, it's a symbol of who we are. It's a reminder of the genius, the resilience and the creativity of our ancestors. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kailash temple is a spiritual and cultural treasure that shows us what's possible when determination meets imagination. How did they achieve such precision without modern tools? It was flawless planning and equally flawless execution. Is temple ko sirf 18 saalon mein kaise complete kiya gaya? Or could it have been a multi-generational project? Did they have tools or techniques that we've completely forgotten? The more you dig into it, the more mysterious it gets. So what do you think of this temple, of the Kailash temple? Have you visited it? And are there any other such ancient Indian structures that you have seen that should be shared with the wider world? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And if you've liked this episode, hit like and subscribe so that you can receive a notification when the next episode of the Immortal India podcast launches. And until next time, keep exploring, keep asking questions and most of all, stay curious. Ye hai Immortal India. Namaste. Jai Hind.