Kailasa Temple, India.
Carved from a single block of stone, the Kailasa temple is the best known of the complex.
As mysterious as it is grandiose, no one knows for certain who built it. However, although no written records exist, scholars believe it was King Rachtrakuta Krishna I, who reigned from 773 to 756 BC.
Known for its size, legend has it that it was built when the king was seriously ill and the queen asked the god Shiva to heal her husband.
In exchange for his health, he promised to build a temple in the name of Shiva and to fast until the work was completed.
However, the king quickly improved and the couple realized that it would take years before Kailasa was ready.
Fortunately, a clever engineer arrived who explained that, starting from the top of the mountain, he could complete it in a week. So the temple was built from top to bottom.
Of course, this is just a legend, but despite the romanticization, it is true that it was carved from top to bottom and that is precisely what is striking.
One of the most famous caves in the Ellora complex.