Pakistan is a paradigm example of a failed state that has undergone an extremely dangerous form of radical Islamisation.
Dilawara Jain Temples
Dilwara Temples are one of the finest Jain temples & many even consider them
architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal.
Built between 11th & 13th century, the most outstanding feature are its
exquisite carvings in marble.
The two temples Vimala Vasahi & Luna Vasahi are singled out by experts as
superb examples of architecture.
Dilwara Temples - An Architectural Marvel
Dilwara Temple Mount Abu's chief claims to fame are the Jain temples
architecture at Dilwara, about 5km from Nakki lake. The Dilwara temples were
built during the age of Jain supremacy and are one of the finest Jain temples
India has to offer. Many experts consider them architecturally superior to the
Taj Mahal. The architecture is marked by carvings that are not just ethereally
beautiful in form but are often presented in a highly poetic context. For
instance, one of the marble nayikas (maidens) is depicted as having just emerged
from her bath. Droplets falling from her long hair are shown being drunk by a
swan sitting by her feet.
Exquisite Temple Carvings
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.
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.
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.
Vimala Vasahi Temple
This Jain temple was built by Vimala Shah (variously described as a merchant
and a minister of the Solanki ruler of Gujarat) to atone for his sins. This
temple, dedicated to the first Jain tirthankar (fordmaker) Adinatha, involved a
work force of 2,700 men and took a total of 14 years to complete at an exuberant
cost, a worth noticing specimen of architectural splendor. Prithvipala, a
descendant of Vimala, is also known to have added to the magnificent temple in
1150AD. The temple of Vimala is supposed to the oldest and the most complete
example of Jain temple architecture. The rather simple façade hides an amazingly
beautiful interior.
The Gateway
The entrance to the temple is from the east through a domed porch which leads
to a six-pillared pavilion with a three-tiered smosan (a conventional
representation of the holy mountain of the Jains) in the center. The smosan is
surrounded by 10 statues including that of the founder Vimala and his family,
each seated on a beautiful elephant chiseled out of a single block of white
marble, about four feet high. These representations are now badly defaced,
having been destroyed by plundering zealots.
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. Percy Brown, in his
book Indian Architecture: Buddhist and Hindu Period, details the profusion of
imagery that went into this ornate ceiling: "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 nichés, 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.
Luna Vasahi Temple
The temple of Luna Vasahi dedicated to the 22nd Jain saint Neminath, was
built two centuries later by two brothers, Tejpala and Vasupala. The inscription
in this temple, however, ascribes its erection and endowment to Tejpalaa in
memory of his brother. The inscription records that it was consecrated in
1230AD. This temple, though slightly smaller than Vimala Vasahi, illustrates
further efflorescence of the style, accompanied by a richer elaboration of
decorations. The doorways are framed by ornate bases, and the eight pillars of
the assembly hall are loftier and of different types. In some places the marble
is so finely carved that it seems translucent. The highlight is again the
ceiling with magnificently carved figures of dancers, animals, mythological
figures and processions of horsemen. From the center of the ceiling hangs a
clustered and finely carved marble pendant. It is said that its artisans were
told to make the pendant the only one of its kind, and were offered the weight
of their marble shavings in gold. The more intricately they chiseled out the
marble the more weight the scales got, making the artisans richer with each
shaving.
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).
