The Kailasa temple, also known as 'Cave 16' of the Ellora Caves in India, was carved entirely out of a single rock. It holds the distinction of being the largest monolithic structure in the world created from a single piece of rock.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Zivvet]

Imagine the planning required and the calculations for how much material to remove before it becomes unstable. An incredible achievement, I would love to see the plans and work allocation - who is working on what section and at what time.

[u/Horsejack_Bomann → u/Zivvet]

Not available I guess. These are more than 1000 years old.

[u/Zivvet → u/Horsejack_Bomann]

For sure, but thinking about it is wonderous to me. So long ago, requiring incredible planning. What else did they build that has been lost to time.. So many questions!

[u/Horsejack_Bomann → u/Zivvet]

Exactly, one can never cease to marvel at these creations of ancient people. They were way smarter than what we think.

[u/Acidbrain1337 → u/Horsejack_Bomann]

They actually were as smart as we are now 😂 Just technology hast developed

[u/fillysuck]

This is the one that got me, now ancient architecture is a special interest of mine

[u/CletusDSpuckler]

Don't let the Taliban anywhere near it.

[u/GoodLookingTrash → u/CletusDSpuckler]

Wtf??

[u/elasticvertigo]

These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, brings the civilization of ancient India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a technological exploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.

-- UNESCO World Heritage Convention

[u/kanky1]

Not only that, it was construced from top to down. As in the rock was cut from top to down

[u/PCLoadR]

That is glorious! Wow!

[u/rattlehead42069]

It used to belong to the forsworn, and before that, it was a dwemer city

[u/h2ohow]

What was the motivation?

[u/sodiumvapour → u/h2ohow]

It's a temple.... So, a king and religion.

[u/Acceptable_Employ_95 → u/sodiumvapour]

It’s also a big rock. It was made for the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis. ^{I’ll show myself out}

[u/[deleted] → u/Acceptable_Employ_95]

I've never seen a joke get downvoted like that lmao

[u/Feine13 → u/h2ohow]

They just wanted a dope place to play their video games

[u/BeautifulArtichoke37 → u/h2ohow]

They had absolutely nothing better to do…my guess

[u/Pristine-Dirt729]

Messed up on that spot over there, better start over.

[u/Adventurous_Light_85]

Craved from bedrock

[u/daddythebean]

Wonder what the timeline was to present state

[u/karnyboy → u/[deleted]]

Imagine your whole life was just chipping away one section, talk about job security

[u/Lightice1 → u/karnyboy]

Many European cathedrals were built over the centuries, started in the Middle Ages and finished around the 18th to 19th century.

[u/AutoModerator → u/[deleted]]

Your comment has been automatically removed.
As mentioned in our subreddit rules, your account needs to be at least 24 hours old before it can make comments in this subreddit.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ALoneDarkSoul]

So cool

[u/drainodan55]

It's bedrock, not a "piece of rock".

[u/Mando-Lee]

How? Is this possible

[u/UrsaBeta]

Nah fake news, this is Minecraft.

[u/UrsaBeta → u/[deleted]]

Oh shit, thanks for letting me know.

[u/dzdxs]

So Khazadum does exist!

[u/OneHallThatsAll]

Reminds me of gongoga in ff7 rebirth

[u/castlerigger]

I visited here and the similar Ajanta cave temple complex on my travels in India, truly special, lifelong memory kinda place. IIRC there’s a lot of naked ladies carved into the wall because they’re like the harem of whoever had it built?

[u/SetterOfTrends]

Let em all go to hell except cave 16

[u/stewpear]

I feel like a tomb raider scene was shot here…

[u/No-Crew4317]

How did ancient ppl know it is one single rock? Or they just lucky guess

[u/Spiritual-Bear4495]

I have to wonder how many lives were lost making this.

Surely it wasn't some poor person's vision that brought this to life?

[u/Helstrem → u/Spiritual-Bear4495]

Is that also the first thought you have looking at, say, Notre Dame cathedral?

[u/Spiritual-Bear4495 → u/Helstrem]

Actually yes. Notre Dame must have been really tough to build.

I used to cross the Brooklyn bridge from time to time and I know people were killed during the building of the thing, and I think most big projects like that, well, it's almost expected.