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Dilwara Jain Temples
The famous Dilwara Jain temples are located about 2.5 km away
from Mount Abu. The Dilwara Jain temples were dedicated to the
Jain tirthankars and also served as storehouses of illustrated
manuscripts and treatises. The temples at Mount Abu were
constructed between 800 AD and 1200 AD. Vimala Shah, Vastu
Pala and Teja Pala contributed a lot towards the development
of Jain art and architecture. The Jain temples at Mount Abu
are built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. The
first temple of this group can be dated back to 1032 CE, the
period in which Brihadeshwar temple at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu
was built. The Dilwara temples have been described as a dream
in marble. According to the inscription, Mount Abu was
basically a seat of Saivism and Jainism made its appearance
only in 11th century. The first Jain temple of Dilwara, the
Vimala Vasahi was built in 1032 A D by Vimala Shah. |
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Gudh Mandap.
The length of the temple is 98 feet and the width is 42 feet.
The main shrine and the front of the cells are surrounded by
elaborate columns. The temple is carved out of white marble.
The ceiling is decorated with engraved designs of lotus-buds,
petals, flowers and scenes from Jain and Hindu mythology.
Luna Vashi or the Teja Pala Temple
The Luna Vashi temple is dedicated to the 22nd Tirthankara,
Shri Nemi Nathji. It resembles the architectural plan of the
Vimal Vashi temple although it was built 200 years after that
temple. The two brothers, Vastu Pala and Tej Pala, both
ministers of a local ruler, built this magnificent temple in
1230 AD. The temple is the among the last few monuments built
in the Solanki style. The striking feature of the Tejapala
temple is its dome which stands on 8 pillars. From this dome
hangs a big ornamental pendant with elaborate carving. From
the ceiling this pendant looks like a cluster of half open
lotuses.
According to the local legend, the two brothers, before
becoming minister, went on a pilgrimage with huge wealth,
which they decided to bury it under a tree. While digging,
they found more gold. Anupama Devi, wife of Teja Pala advised
them to build temples at Satrunjaya and Girnar with their
wealth. When they were ministers they heard about the holiness
of Mount Abu and decided to build a temple there dedicated to
Shri Neminath to commemorate their dead brother Luna.
Another major attraction in this temple is the principal cell
known as Grabagriha, which when lighted reveals the massive
idol of Neminath. There are 39 cells each of which contains
one or more images. The ceiling in front of the cell is
profusely ornamented. The relief in the porticos of the cell
portrays important scenes from the life of Neminath. Another
main attraction is the Hathishala or the elephant cell which
features 10 beautiful marble elephants. These elephants are
neatly polished and realistically modeled. Earlier these
elephants carried the idols representing the family of Vastu
Pala. Behind the elephants are the 10 slabs bearing a figure
of male and female.
Pittalhar Temple
The Pittalhar temple was built by Bhima Shah, a minister of
Sultan Begada of Ahmedabad. This temple is also known as Shri
Rishabh Deoji temple. The temple has a massive metal statue of
the Rishab Dev Adinath, cast in five metals. The main metal
used in making this statue is 'Pital' (brass) and so this
temple is known as "Pittalhar Temple". This temple consist of
Garbhagriha, Gudh Mandap and Navchowki.
Parshavanath Temple
The Parshavanath temple is dedicated to Lord Parshavnath.
Mandlik and his family built this temple in 1458-59 AD. This
temple is also known as the Khartar Vashi temple. The temple
consists of a three storeyed building, which is the tallest of
all the shrines at Dilwara. On the ground floor, all the four
faces of the sanctum have four big mandaps. The outer walls of
the sanctum are carved with beautiful sculptures of Dikpals,
Vidhyadevis, Yakshinis, Shalabhanjikas and other decorative
sculptures in grey sandstone.
Mahaveer Swami Temple
The Mahaveer Swami temple is a small structure constructed in
1582 AD. It is dedicated to the 24th Jain Tirthankara Lord
Mahaveer. On the upper walls of the temple are the pictures of
Lord Mahaveer. |
