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Dilwara Temple Mount Abu:

The Dilwara Temples, also known as the Delvada Temples, are a complex of svetambara Jain temples located about 21/2 km from Mount Abu in Sirohi District, Rajasthan’s sole hill station.

The Dilwara Temples are a group of five Jain temples located in the beautiful hill station of Mount Abu in Rajasthan, India. These temples are renowned for their intricate marble carvings and architecture and are considered to be one of the finest examples of Jain architecture in India.

The temples were built between the 11th and 13th centuries and are dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras. Each temple has a unique design and layout, but they all share a common theme of intricate marble carvings that cover every inch of their walls, pillars, and domes. The temples are constructed entirely of white marble, which is believed to have been transported from the quarries of Makrana, around 300 km away from Mount Abu.

Dilwara Jain temple architecture:

The five Dilwara Jain Temples are some of the most well-known Jain temples. The Vimal Vasahi is the most recent, having been built in 1031, followed by the Luna Vasahi in 1230, and the rest between 1459 and 1582. All are in a very white marble that adds to the effect and are still in use. Even by the norms of the style, the oldest and largest two feature a great quantity of detailed carving, reaching a peak in the Luna Vasahi temple.

The major buildings of the first three mentioned are encircled by “cloister” screens of devakulik shrines, which are very obvious on the exterior walls of these; in the case of the Vimal Vasahi, this screen was added later, around the period of the second temple. These three are connected by an axis that runs from the sanctuary through a closed mandapa, then an open mandapa, and finally to an open rangamandapa, or larger hall for dance or theatre. Surrounding the main temple with a curtain of shrines became a distinguishing feature of West Indian Jain temples, and it is still used in some modern temples.

Five Temples:

The temple complex is situated among forested hills. There are five temples in all, each with its own distinct personality. The five temples are all contained within a single high-walled enclosure. The band is named after the small community of Dilwara or Delvara where they are based. The five temples are as follows:

Vimal Vasahi Temple

Luna Vasahi Temple

Pittalhar temple

Parshvanath temple

Mahavir Swami temple

Vimal Vasahi Temple:

The Adinatha or Vimala Vasahi Temple is entirely made of white marble and was largely constructed in 1026 by Vimal Shah, a minister to Gujarat’s Chaulukya ruler, Bhima I.The outer mandapa is a twentieth-century addition.Lord Rishabha is honoured in this temple. The temple is set in an open courtyard bordered by a passageway that contains multiple cells housing tiny idols of the tirthankaras. The temple’s beautifully carved hallways, pillars, arches, and mandaps’ or porticoes are just stunning.

Luna Vasahi Temple:

Lord Neminath is honoured in the Luna Vasahi or Neminatha temple. This exquisite temple was built in 1230 by two Porwad brothers, Vastupal and Tejpal, who were both ministers to Gujarat’s Vaghela ruler, Virdhaval. The Vimal Vasahi temple inspired the temple built in honour of Vastupal and Tejpal’s late brother Lunig. The temple has a similar construction to Vimala Vasahi, but the carving inside is more elaborate.The main hall, or Rang mandap, has a central dome from which hangs a large ornate pendant with intricate carving. 72 figurines of Tirthankaras in sitting posture are arranged in a circular band, and 360 miniature figures of Jain monks are arranged in another circular band slightly below this band.The Hathishala, or elephant cell, contains ten polished and realistically made marble elephants. The two niches of Derani (wife of younger brother) and Jethani (wife of older brother), the wives of Vastupal and Tejpal, are a unique feature of the temple.Both niches feature an image of Lakshmi as well as sculptures of Sambhavanatha and Shantinatha.

Pittalhar Temple:

This temple, also known as the Adinatha temple, was built between 1316 and 1432 AD by Bhima Shah, a minister of Sultan Begada of Ahmedabad. The temple houses a large metal statue of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha Dev (Adinath), cast in five metals. This statue’s principal metal is ‘Pital’ (brass), hence the name ‘Pittalhar’.The temple’s name is also stated in an inscription found in Digambar shrine in Dilwara complex in 1432.

The main shrine contains a total of 107 pictures. The shrine has a major Garbhagriha, a Gudh mandap, and a Navchowki with idols of Yashi Chakreshvari and Yaksha Gomukha on both sides.The building of Rangmandap and the corridor appears to have been abandoned. According to the inscription, the old mutilated idol was replaced and installed in 1468-69 AD, weighing 108 maunds (four metric tonnes).The image was created by artist ‘Deta’ and stands 8 feet tall, 5.5 feet wide, and 41 inches tall. A large marble Panch-Tirthi sculpture of Adinath is erected on one side of Gudh Mandap. Some shrines (devakulika) were built between 1474 and 1490 before being abandoned.

Shri Parshvanatha Temple

Sangvi Mandlik and his family built this shrine to Lord Parshvanath in 1458-59. Masons allegedly donated free remaining stones of Vimala Vasahi and Luna Vasahi to add marble because the temple was built with grey stone. It is the tallest of Dilwara’s shrines, at three stories tall. Not all of the tower is still standing. On the ground level, four large mandapas house a Choumukha idol of Parshvanatha on each of the four faces of the sanctum. The front iconography of the Chaumukha idol on the first level is of Chintamani Parshvanath, second Magalakar Parshvanatha, and third Manoratha-Kalpadruma Parshvanatha, all with hoods of nine cobras.The image of Parshvanatha’s fourth image is illegible. There are images of 17 tirthankaras and floral paintings throughout the corridor. There is a portrayal of 14 nightmares that the mothers of the tirthankaras had before their births. The Chaumukha idols on the second level are of Sumatinatha, Parshvanatha, Adinatha, and Parshvanatha. There is also an idol of Goddess Ambika. The Chaumukha idol of Parshvanatha is located on the third floor.

Shri Mahaveer Swami Temple:

This is a tiny structure dedicated to Lord Mahavira that was built in 1582.It is a modest temple with wall carvings. Sirohi painters painted the pictures on the upper walls of the porch around 1764. Flowers, pigeons, a court scene, dancing girls, horses, an elephant, and other scenes are intricately carved. There are three tirthankar idols on each side of Mahavira. Outside the shrine, there is a rectangular marble slab with a triangle stone on top that contains 133 images of miniature-sized tirthankar with a larger image in the centre.

Facilities at Dilwara Temple:

Bathing facilities are available, which is required before performing puja for the idols. These facilities employ passive solar energy to heat water for bathing and other purposes. Tourists can take guided tours of the temple, which are advertised outside.