The 1,200-year-old ancient Hindu temple carved from a single rock will astonish people and make them believe it could be the construction technology of extraterrestrials.

In the 21st century, humans have discovered many ancient architectures built with remarkable precision and sophistication, such as the Pyramids of Giza (Egypt), the Gate of the Sun (Bolivia), or the Longmen Grottoes (China). The Kailasa Temple (India) is also among them. To this day, no one has been able to explain how such mysterious architecture could have been created.

The Kailasa Temple is located 29km northwest of Aurangabad city (Maharashtra, India). It is part of the famous Ellora Caves complex, which comprises 34 temples and monasteries. Kailasa is a remarkable example of Dravidian architecture (a style characterized by square tops with intricate carvings).

This temple stands out as a notable example of 8th-century Dravidian architecture due to its near-perfectly precise carvings, at a time when humans only had rudimentary hand tools for construction and elephants for transporting heavy building materials.

Beyond being a place of worship for ancient deities, it bewilders people as it is carved entirely from a single rock with intricate patterns. This raises questions worldwide: how did ancient people create this masterpiece? What technology did they use to construct it, leaving us in the 21st century still unable to fully explain?

This place of worship was commissioned by Krishna I, a king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty (which ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from the mid-6th to the 10th century). It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, the supreme god symbolizing creation and destruction.

In India, it is commonly referred to as the Kailash Temple. Kailash is a sacred mountain in Tibet, regarded as a holy site in many religions. According to Hindu belief, the god Shiva resides atop this mountain.

This sacred site is estimated to have been constructed between 757 and 783 AD. According to records, the technique used to build this place is known as “rock-cut architecture.” However, it remains a mystery how ancient people quarried the rock from a 30-meter-high cliff to create the pillars using rudimentary tools.

It’s estimated that 400,000 tons of rock were used to create this place of worship. Archaeologists and historians believe that this monolithic structure was built over about 20 years. They hypothesize that workers labored continuously for 12 hours a day, regardless of rain, storms, or festivals. This would mean that each day, they had to quarry 60 tons of rock, equivalent to 5 tons per hour. Despite all the technology available today, we still cannot achieve such a feat. Who accomplished this and how remains an unanswered question.

Interestingly, in 1682, Aurangzeb, a devout Muslim ruler, ordered thousands of people to demolish this historical structure. However, it seemed to be an impossible task because for three years, the workers couldn’t do much beyond destroying a few statues. Eventually, Aurangzeb had to give up. Hindus believe this was the power of the divine spirits protecting the temple.

By observing the carving marks on the rock walls, archaeologists have concluded that three different types of tools were likely used to create the masterpieces of this century: chisels, hammers, and sharp objects. They also believe that the temple was carved vertically from top to bottom, as it was constructed to be visible from above, as depicted in the diagram.

Looking from the outside, this ancient Hindu temple, carved from a single rock and 1,200 years old, exhibits a U-shaped architecture. On either side of the main temple complex are rows of 30-meter-high pillars, depicting numerous deities. In front of the main sanctuary stands the statue of the bull Nandi, the mount of Lord Shiva, hence, statues of Nandi are always found in front of temples dedicated to this deity. Within the precincts of the Kailasa temple are 5 separate shrines; among them, 3 are dedicated to the river goddesses Ganga (the Ganges), Yamuna, and Saraswati.

According to legend, when the king fell seriously ill, the queen pleaded with Lord Shiva to save her husband. She vowed to build a temple in his honor and fast until she saw the temple’s roof. After the king recovered from his illness, the queen urged him to begin construction of the temple immediately. However, architects estimated that it would take several months to complete the temple’s roof. Only architect Kokasa dared to claim that he could complete the temple in just one week. He chose a colossal rock face and had skilled craftsmen carve it from top to bottom to shorten the construction time, so that the queen wouldn’t have to fast for too long.

Within the precincts of this place of worship, there are numerous elephant statues. Many people humorously remark that when viewed from above, Kailasa resembles a herd of elephants standing guard.

Inside this structure are pillars, windows, and chambers. In the central shrine lies a giant stone linga. The deities carved on the left side of the entrance are believed to be devotees of Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, the deities on the right are believed to be devotees of Lord Vishnu – the preserver, one of the three principal deities in Hinduism alongside Shiva and Brahma. Next to Lord Shiva, there are two large pillars and intricate sculptures depicting stories related to this deity. All details are incredibly refined.

In our modern era, with advanced technology, it’s challenging to fathom how over 10 centuries ago, humans could create such a magnificent structure from hard rock with only rudimentary tools. It’s even more mind-boggling that with all the sophisticated equipment available today, we still can’t replicate their achievements.