Consider the following statements about Ellora : 1. This art-historical site is associated exclusively with Buddhism. 2. The Kailasa temple at Ellora has been built of dressed stone and kiln fired bricks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because Ellora is a multi-religious site featuring 34 caves dedicated to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism [1]. It is not exclusively associated with Buddhism; rather, it contains 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu, and 5 Jain caves [3]. Statement 2 is also incorrect. The Kailasa temple (Cave 16) is a monolithic structure hewn out of a single basalt rock cliff [2]. It was constructed using a top-down vertical excavation method, removing approximately 200,000 tonnes of rock. Unlike structural temples that use dressed stone or kiln-fired bricks, the Kailasa temple was carved entirely from the existing mountain, requiring no additional building materials like bricks or mortar. The temple was commissioned by the Rashtrakuta King Krishna I in the 8th century and stands as a masterpiece of rock-cut architecture [1].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Architecture > p. 114
2. [3] https://www.britannica.com/place/Ellora-Caves
3. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 9: Cultural Development in South India > 9.3Ellora > p. 127