Adhar Devi Temple:
Three kilometres (almost two miles) north from the town center, down a path at the end of Subhash Road, is the Adhar Devi Temple from where you get a fine view of Mount Abu. The temple to the goddess is carved out of a huge rock and is reached by an ascent of 200 steps. To the north of Adhar Devi Temple is Trevor's Tank, the area around which has been declared a wildlife sanctuary.
Dilwara Jain Temple :
The Dilwara Jain Temples stand on the road to the Guru Shikar Peak, under an hour's gentle walk from the center of town going northwest. Dilwara Jain Temple was built during the rule of the stable Solanki dynasty of Gujarat (11th -13th centuries) whose territory included parts of Rajasthan. The period of Solanki rule saw one of the most prolific developments in architecture in north India. Gujarat was a center of commerce and the arts. It was an age of opulence and spiritual devotion. Senior ministers, many of them Jains, used their great wealth to build both Hindu and Jain temples, and the general public contributed small amounts on a large scale .
Vimal Vanshi Temple :
The Vimal Vasahi Temple, constructed of white marble from the mine at Makrana, was built in 1031 in the village of Dilwara by Vimal Shah, a minister of the first Solanki ruler. The temple is dedicated to Adinath, or Rishabh Deo, the first sage of the Jain religion. It was the Jain custom to build on summits of mountains as they consider high places sacred. The temple is surrounded by a high enclosure wall of 52 cells which contain seated figures of Adinath. Facing the entrance is a six pillared pavilion with a representation of the holy mountain of the Jains in the center. It is surrounded by ten statues of the founder and his family, each member seated on an elephant. The temple interior is a profusion of rich carving. There is a columned hall before the main shrine. The dome at the center is built of 11 concentric rings, five depicting patterns of figures and animals. Superimposed on the rings of carvings are 16 female figures or vidyadevis or goddesses of knowledge. A passage between two sets of pillars leads to the main shrine and its figure or Adinath.
Tejpal Temple :
The Tejpal, or Luna Vasahi, Temple was built two centuries later under the patronage of Vastupal and Tejpal, two brothers who were the powerlul ministers or a later Solanki ruler. Rewards of silver and gold were offered to the masons. The temple, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tirthanhara, Neminath, whose symbol is the conch shell, is very similar to the Vimal temple, showing how little building styles had changed over 200 years. In this temple, however, there is a deeper attention to detail. The excellence of the workmanship can be seen in the lotus flower pendant at the center or the dome which is so finely carved as to be almost transparent. The porticos or the 39 cells surrounding the sanctuary are ornamented with carvings depicting various episodes in ' Neminath's life. One shows his decision to renounce the world after seeing a procession or animals being led to the slaughter ror his wedding feast. Jains do not believe in violence and show respect ror all rorms of life.
Three kilometres (almost two miles) north from the town center, down a path at the end of Subhash Road, is the Adhar Devi Temple from where you get a fine view of Mount Abu. The temple to the goddess is carved out of a huge rock and is reached by an ascent of 200 steps. To the north of Adhar Devi Temple is Trevor's Tank, the area around which has been declared a wildlife sanctuary.
Dilwara Jain Temple :
The Dilwara Jain Temples stand on the road to the Guru Shikar Peak, under an hour's gentle walk from the center of town going northwest. Dilwara Jain Temple was built during the rule of the stable Solanki dynasty of Gujarat (11th -13th centuries) whose territory included parts of Rajasthan. The period of Solanki rule saw one of the most prolific developments in architecture in north India. Gujarat was a center of commerce and the arts. It was an age of opulence and spiritual devotion. Senior ministers, many of them Jains, used their great wealth to build both Hindu and Jain temples, and the general public contributed small amounts on a large scale .
Vimal Vanshi Temple :
The Vimal Vasahi Temple, constructed of white marble from the mine at Makrana, was built in 1031 in the village of Dilwara by Vimal Shah, a minister of the first Solanki ruler. The temple is dedicated to Adinath, or Rishabh Deo, the first sage of the Jain religion. It was the Jain custom to build on summits of mountains as they consider high places sacred. The temple is surrounded by a high enclosure wall of 52 cells which contain seated figures of Adinath. Facing the entrance is a six pillared pavilion with a representation of the holy mountain of the Jains in the center. It is surrounded by ten statues of the founder and his family, each member seated on an elephant. The temple interior is a profusion of rich carving. There is a columned hall before the main shrine. The dome at the center is built of 11 concentric rings, five depicting patterns of figures and animals. Superimposed on the rings of carvings are 16 female figures or vidyadevis or goddesses of knowledge. A passage between two sets of pillars leads to the main shrine and its figure or Adinath.
Tejpal Temple :
The Tejpal, or Luna Vasahi, Temple was built two centuries later under the patronage of Vastupal and Tejpal, two brothers who were the powerlul ministers or a later Solanki ruler. Rewards of silver and gold were offered to the masons. The temple, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tirthanhara, Neminath, whose symbol is the conch shell, is very similar to the Vimal temple, showing how little building styles had changed over 200 years. In this temple, however, there is a deeper attention to detail. The excellence of the workmanship can be seen in the lotus flower pendant at the center or the dome which is so finely carved as to be almost transparent. The porticos or the 39 cells surrounding the sanctuary are ornamented with carvings depicting various episodes in ' Neminath's life. One shows his decision to renounce the world after seeing a procession or animals being led to the slaughter ror his wedding feast. Jains do not believe in violence and show respect ror all rorms of life.
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