Facile Architecture

Kailasa was not assembled from stone blocks. It was created by removing rock until the temple stood free. Most temples begin with a foundation. Kailasa Temple at Ellora began with a cliff. Instead of bringing stone to the site and assembling it block by block, builders removed the rock around the monument until a free-standing temple remained. The Archaeological Survey of India calls Kailasa the largest single monolithic excavation in the world . UNESCO describes Cave 16 as the largest monolithic temple and an extraordinary technological achievement. ( ASI ) A Temple Left Inside the Rock A simplified reconstruction shows how deep trenches could isolate a basalt mass before the sanctuary, halls, columns, bridges and courtyard were carved from the rock that remained. Kailasa is attributed to the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I, who ruled during the eighth century. An archival description held by the Australian National University explains the basic method: three deep ...

Jaisalmer’s merchant havelis displayed wealth on the façade, protected valuables below ground and moderated desert heat through mass, shade and airflow. How Jaisalmer’s Merchant Mansions Protected Wealth and Managed Desert Heat From the street, Jaisalmer’s havelis look almost royal. Their sandstone façades are covered with carved balconies, deep projections and delicate jalis. But some of the city’s finest havelis were not built as palaces. They were merchant homes. And they had to do more than impress visitors. They had to protect wealth, preserve privacy and remain usable through a desert summer. Built by Caravan Wealth Jaisalmer once stood on an important caravan route connecting the Indus valley with Punjab and northern India. The Rajasthan District Gazetteer records camel caravans carrying indigo, opium, sugar candy and iron goods westward, then returning with dates, dry fruits, ivory, scented wood and other products. The city became both a commercial centre and a ha...

In 1836, granite from the Chola temple complex was removed for construction of the Lower Coleroon Anicut. In 1836, work began on the Lower Coleroon Anicut across the Kollidam River in Tamil Nadu. The project needed large quantities of stone. Nearby stood an 800-year-old Chola temple built largely from granite. It became a quarry. A Capital Built in Stone The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram was built by Rajendra Chola I as the centrepiece of his new imperial capital. Completed in 1035, its 53-metre vimana rises in a graceful curve, noticeably different from the straighter and more severe tower built by Rajendra’s father at Thanjavur. ( UNESCO World Heritage Centre ) Completed under Rajendra Chola I in 1035, the temple’s 53-metre vimana remains the dominant surviving feature of the former Chola capital. Eight centuries later, that carefully worked granite attracted attention for a very different reason. It could be reused. What the Historical Record ...