Kailāsa

views updated May 11 2018

Kailāsa (Skt., ‘ice/silver mountain’).
1. Mountain range in Himālayas, but also one mountain in particular sacred to both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists. It is the paradise of the gods, especially Śiva. Ridges in the southern face resemble a svastika, hence reference to it as ‘the svastika mountain’.

2. A temple at Ellorā, probably constructed by the king Kṛṣṇa (d. c.773 CE), and dedicated to Śiva. The temple is constructed to translate the Himalayan mountain into architectural form.