5/5 Ravi P. 3 years ago on Google
The
Dilwara
Temples
or
Delvada
Temples
are
a
group
of
Jain
temples
located
about
2.5
kilometres
from
the
Mount
Abu
settlement,
Rajasthan's
only
hill
station.
The
earliest
were
built
by
Vimal
Shah
and
supposedly
designed
or
at
least
financed
by
Vastupala,
Jain
minister
of
Dholka.
They
date
between
the
11th
and
16th
centuries,
forming
some
of
the
most
famous
monuments
in
the
style
of
Māru-Gurjara
architecture,
famous
for
their
use
of
a
very
pure
white
marble
and
intricate
marble
carvings.
They
are
a
pilgrimage
place
for
Jains,
and
a
significant
general
tourist
attraction.
Although
Jains
built
many
temples
at
other
places
in
Rajasthan,
the
Dilwara
temples
are
believed
to
be
the
most
impressive.
The
five
Dilwara
Temples
are
among
the
most
famous
Jain
temples.
The
Vimal
Vasahi
is
much
the
earliest,
constructed
by
1031,
with
the
Luna
Vasahi
by
1230,
and
the
others
at
intervals
between
1459
and
1582.
All
are
in
a
very
white
marble
that
adds
greatly
to
their
effect,
and
remain
in
use.
The
oldest
and
largest
two
have
large
amounts
of
intricate
carving
even
by
the
standards
of
the
style,
reaching
a
peak
in
the
Luna
Vasahi
temple.
The
main
buildings
of
the
first
three
named
are
surrounded
by
"cloister"
screens
of
devakulikā
shrines,
and
are
fairly
plain
on
the
outer
walls
of
these;
in
the
case
of
the
Vimal
Vasahi
this
screen
was
a
later
addition,
around
the
time
of
the
second
temple.
These
three
have
an
axis
from
the
sanctuary
through
a
closed,
then
an
open
mandapa
to
an
open
rangamandapa,
or
larger
hall
for
dance
or
drama.
Surrounding
the
main
temple
with
a
curtain
of
shrines
was
to
become
a
distinctive
feature
of
the
Jain
temples
of
West
India,
still
employed
in
some
modern
temples.
The
temple
complex
is
in
the
midst
of
a
range
of
forested
hills.
There
are
five
temples
in
all,
each
with
its
own
unique
identity.[11]
All
the
five
temples
are
enclosed
within
a
single
high
walled
compound.
The
group
is
named
after
the
small
village
of
Dilwara
or
Delvara
in
which
they
are
located.
The
five
temples
are:
Vimal
Vasahi,
dedicated
to
the
first
Jain
Tirthankara,
Shri
Adinatha
Luna
Vasahi,
dedicated
to
the
22nd
Jain
Tirthankara,
Shri
Neminatha.
Pittalhar,
dedicated
to
the
first
Jain
Tirthankar,
Shri
Adinatha.
Parshvanath,
dedicated
to
the
23rd
Jain
Tirthankara,
Shri
Parshvanatha.
Mahavir
Swami,
dedicated
to
the
last
Jain
Tirthankara,
Shri
Mahaviraswami.
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