Kailasa Temple, Ellora

देव देऊळ परिवारू

कीजे कोरूनि डोंगरू

तैसा भक्तीचा व्यवहारू

का न व्हावा

Said by Saint Jnyāneshwar in his Amṛutānubhava composition, it means From the same rock are carved the idol of God, the temple and the attendants of God. Then why Bhakti i.e. devotion can't be like that? is a quintessential couplet to describe this grand edifice, the Kailāsa Temple. 

Kailāsa temple is world's largest Monolithic temple, means carved out of one rock. Kailasa temple is located at Ellora, Maharashtra. Temple is a part of group of 34 caves that are carved out of basaltic rock of Sahyadri hills. This Temple was built around 7th century by Rashtrakuta dynasty ruler. According to eminent scholar Dhavalikar Krishna I was the patron of Kailasa temple. According to the sources temple took around 200 years for its completion. Kailasa temple resembles to Rashtrakuta's other great monuments like Virupaksha temple at pattadakal. There is a Gopuram, an entrance tower, which is the peculiarity of Dravidian architecture. Vimana, a structure over Sanctum Sanctorum i.e. Garbhagriha. There is kirtistambha i.e. Victory tower standing alone flaunting the victorious reign of kings. Most unique feature of this temple is it was built from top to bottom. 

Walls of the temple are studded with sculptures, florals & animal designs, Mahabharata war scenes but once entered in Garbhagriha i.e. Sanctum Sanctorum, one sees nothing but a supreme God symbolised in Shivalinga. Walls of Garbhagriha are blank. It suggests the world beyond forms, a unified world where all the differences cease to exist. And as Saint Dnyaneshwar’s verses say that, out of one rock emerged many forms like Temple, Lord's statue, various designs on walls, pillars, etc. just like that many forms of universe that we see are emerged out of Brahman which is claimed by Advaita philosophy and it seems to be an ultimate thought behind this monument. Advaita philosophy is a peak where philosophers of ancient India reached in their quest to understand the Ultimate Truth. 

Advait means Non-Duality, it claims that the empirical world of plurality is a result of Maya and beyond it lies absolute unity, the self i.e. Atman and Universal self i.e. Brahman are not different but one. This esoteric philosophy which seems complicated at first but possess great potential to address fundamental problems of humanity. As the Isha Upanishad says, यस्मिन्सर्वानि भूतानन्यात्मैवभुद्विजानतः तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः”, meaning,

"What delusion, what sorrow can there be for that wise man who realises the unity of all existence by perceiving all beings as his own Self?” This Upanishadic verse speak straight to our deep seated fears that inspires the hatred and polarises the world and compel us to realise the solidarity that we all are part of the whole. 

This magnificent Kailasa Temple in its entirety indicate at nothing else but the solidarity of existence as it compels us to look beyond the differences to the unity. Verses of Saint Jnyaneshwar are in absolute agreement with it and question us why our devotional practices shouldn’t be like the temple, many devotional practices approaching one God and What answer we can give other than ‘Yes’. 

In Today’s polarised world this temple and verses of Saint Dnyaneshwar posses immense significance, they make an ardent appeal to the world divided in creed, class and caste to realise the solidarity of existence.