Dilwara temple

The Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2 kilometres

from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples were built

by Chalukya between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. They are famous

for their use of marble. The five marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred

pilgrimage place of the Jains. The marble temples have an opulent

entranceway. The temples are in the midst of a range of forested hills. A

high wall shrouds the temple complex.

Overview of the temple complex. To avoid catching attention of Muslim invaders people of those times deliberately made a ghumbaz top with simple exteriors so that it did not attract attention of invaders and possible destruction thereafter.

There are five temples in all, each with its own unique identity. Each

is named after the small village in which it is located. These are:

Vimal Vasahi, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath. Luna Vasahi, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tirthankara, Neminatha. Pithalhar, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar, Rishabha Parshvanath, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Parshva. Mahavir Swami, dedicated to the last Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira. The most famous of these are the Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi temples.

VIMAL VASAHI TEMPLE This temple carved entirely out of white marble was built in 1021 by Vimal Shah, a minister of Bhimidev I, the Chalukya King (Solanki Maharaja) of Gujarat. The temple is dedicated to Lord Rishabha. The temple stands in an open courtyard surrounded by a corridor, which has numerous cells containing smaller idols of the Tirthankaras.

The richly carved corridors, pillars, arches, and 'mandaps' or porticoes of the temple are simply amazing. The ceilings feature engraved designs of lotus-buds, petals, flowers and scenes from Jain and Hindu mythology.

The Methodology of Carving In the temples in Mount Abu even chiseling was put aside, and artisans adopted the sedulous task of thinning the marble into carved images, a worth noticing architectural splendor. This was done by gently scraping away the surface till a figure eventually emerged, so intricate and fine that it was intelligibly magnificent. This is the reason why the temples in Mount Abu and Ranakpur are said to be the finest Jain temples in the world.

The Rang manda is a grand hall supported by 12 decorated pillars and nicely carved out arches with a breathtaking central dome. On the pillars are carved female figurines playing musical instruments and 16 Vidhyadevis, or the goddesses of knowledge, each one holding her own symbol which is believed to be memorial of victorious Brahma Kumaris follower from last Kalpa. The Navchowki is a collection of nine rectangular ceilings, each one containing beautiful carvings of different designs supported on ornate pillars. The Gudh mandap is a simple hall once you step inside its heavily decorated doorway. Installed here is the idol of Adi Nath or Lord Rishabdev, as he is also known. The mandap is meant for Aarti to the deity. The Hastishala (Elephant Cell) was constructed by Prithvipal, a descendant of Vimal Shah in 1147-49 and features a row of elephants in sculpture.

LUNA VASAHI The Luna Vashi temple is dedicated to Lord Neminath. This magnificent temple was built in 1230 by two Porwad brothers - Vastupal and Tejpal - both ministers of a Virdhaval, the Vaghela ruler of Gujarat. The temple built in memory of their late brother Luna was designed after the Vimal Vashi temple. The main hall or Rang mandap features a central dome from which hangs a big ornamental pendent featuring elaborate carving. Arranged in a circular band are 72 figures of Tirthankars in sitting posture and just below this band are 360 small figures of Jain monks in another circular band. The Hathishala or elephant cell features 10 beautiful marble elephants neatly polished and realistically modelled. The Navchowki features some of the most magnificent and delicate marble stone cutting work of the temple. Each of the nine ceilings here seems to exceed the others in beauty and grace. The Gudh mandap features a black marble idol of the 22nd Jain Tirthankar Neminatha. The Kirthi Stambha is a big black stone pillar that stands on the left side of the temple. The pillar was constructed by Maharana Kumbha of Mewar. The remaining three temples of Dilwara are smaller but just as elegant as the other two.

PITTALHAR TEMPLE This temple was built by Bhama Shah kavdia [Rajasthan]. A massive metal statue of first Jain Tirthankara Rishabha Dev (Adinath), cast in five metals, is installed in the temple. The main metal used in this statue is 'Pital' (brass), hence the name 'Pittalhar'. The Shrine consists of a main Garbhagriha, Gudh mandap and Navchowki. It seems that the construction of Rangmandap and the corridor was left unfinished. The old mutilated idol was replaced and installed in 1468-69 AD weighing 108 maunds (about 40 quintals or four metric tons) according to the inscription on it. The image was cast by an artist 'Deta' which is 8 ft (2.4 m). high, 5.5 ft (1.7 m). broad and the figure is 41 inches (1,000 mm) in height. In Gudh Mandap on one side, a big marble Panch-Tirthi sculpture of Adinath is installed.

PARSHVANATHA TEMPLE This temple, dedicated to Lord Parshvanath, was built by Mandlik and his family in 1458-59 It consists of a three storied building, the tallest of all the shrines at Dilwara. On all the four faces of the sanctum on the ground floor are four big mandaps. The outer walls of the sanctum comprise beautiful sculptures in gray sandstone, depicting Dikpals, Vidhyadevis, Yakshinis, Shalabhanjikas and other decorative sculptures. MAHAVIR SWAMI TEMPLE This is a small structure constructed in 1582 and dedicated to Lord Mahavira. There are pictures on the upper walls of the porch painted in 1764 by the artists of sirohi.

Marvelous Architecture Splendor The architectural vocabulary of the region included ornamental rendering of flowers and creepers. The portrayal of Yakshini Chakreshwari, the attendant deity of Adinatha (first Jain saint) is an integral part of the temple. Keeping with the prevailing aesthetic norms the figures have sharp facial features set in broad faces and narrow waists. The intricately sculpted arches here are of two types; one with regular wavy undulations and the other, which is seen in the Vimala Vasahi, with exaggerated curves. Two of these temples have been singled out by many experts as outstanding. These are the Vimala Vasahi built in 1031-32AD and Luna Vasahi built in 1230.

The Shrine of Jina Adinatha From the pavilion one passes into a secluded courtyard. Here the temple resolves itself into a colonnade which forms an open arcade containing the shrine. Seated in the center of this shrine is the cross-legged seated figure Jina Adinatha, to whom the temple is dedicated. The entire interior architecture is leniently covered with elaborate carvings, but the splendour of the domed ceiling of this hall is what sets it apart from all others. This dome is built up of 11 concentric rings, five of which, interposed at regular intervals, depict patterns of figures and animals... The lowest contain the forefronts of elephants, their trunks intertwined, as many as a 150 of these in close ranks. A few mouldings above is another border representing images in nich s, also repeated many times, and again over that a similar course of dancing figures. This is followed higher up in the concavity by a series of horsemen, finishing in the topmost storey with more figures engaged in an endless dance. Between these various figured courses are ornamental repeats, gradually becoming more pronounced until towards the apex they culminate in a grouping of pendants not like festoons of foliage suspended from the high trees of a forest." Superimposed upon all this, athwart the outer concentric rings, are 16 brackets that easily catch the eye. Each of these is a female figure, representing a Vidyadevi, or goddess of knowledge.

Other Temple Attractions There are two other temples in the complex, dedicated to Parshavantha and Adinatha. The Chaumukha temple, built in 1459, is the tallest and is notable for its pillared mandapa (hall). The Sri Risha Deoji temple is unfinished and has a huge 4.3 ton brass statue of a saint made of panchadhatu (five metals - gold, silver, brass, copper and zinc).

Perhaps the most outstanding feature of Jain temple architecture is its carvings. and that is an understatement. Wherever one looks, be it pillars, ceilings, walls and floors, Jain temples go to the extreme - and beyond it - when it comes to adorning their temples with the very stone they work with. Jain mythology, saints, gods and goddesses, monks, devotees or just good old religious motifs all find their way in a spectacular rendezvous in marble and rock. Each nook and corner of Jain temples are so diligently carved that it is a wonder that the edifice was created out of plain stone. Carving is perhaps not the right word for Jain temples - chiselling would be more appropriate. Their fragile delicacy merged with an architectural lexicon is what constitues the basis of these amazing temples. Simply put, there is not an inch where one can place his hand and not encounter a spectacular frieze.

Exquisite Temple Carvings

The major key attraction of the Dilwara Temple is heavily intricated carving done on ceiling. The ceiling is projected downwards to interpret the hanging torana.