A dream in marble..Mount Abu

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A Dream in Marble

(Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu, Rajasthan)

 

The Jain Temples at Mount Abu, built in the Nagara Style are among the finest

monuments of India. The first of these ornate temples dates back to 1032 CE,

approximately the period in which the grand Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur

in Tamilnadu (South India) was built in the Dravidian style of architecture .

The Dilwara temples have been described as a dream in marble. Mount Abu - a

popular hill station, located in Rajasthan is on the Ahmedabad - Jaipur - New

Delhi railroad, off of Abu Road, the nearest railhead. Other attractions here

include the Nakki lake, the Adhar Devi temple, Achalgarh Shiva temple and the

Gau Mukh Shiva temple.

The Tejapala temple although resembling the architectural plan of Vimala Vashi

temple,(built nearly 200 years earlier),nevertheless stands as the last of the

monuments built in the Solanki style,which came to an end with the occupation of

Gujarat by the Muslims towards the end of 13th century.The striking feature of

the Tejapala temple is its dome which stands on 8

pillars.The pendant of the dome is a perfect gem;where it drops from the ceiling

it looks like a cluster of half open lotuses.

 

 

From the dome one's attention is diverted to the principal

cell(Grabagriha),which,when lighted reveals the massive idol of Naminatha.There

are in all 39 cells each containing one or more images. Most of the ceilings in

front of the cells are highly rnamented..The reliefs in the porticoes of the

cells depicts incidents from the life of Neminatha, his marriage,deification

etc. The representation of the marriage pavilion in one of the panels

identifies the scene and graphically portrays the cause of the conversion of

Neminatha who was betrothed to Rajimati,the daughter of the king of Girnar.

 

The Hathikhana or the elephant room next claims our attention.There are 10

elaborately carved elephants inside the cell.Formerly the elephants carried the

idols representing the members of Vastupala's family,but now they have

disappeared. Behind the elephants are 10 slabs,each bearing a male and female

figureson it ( it is believed that these figures represent the members of

Vastupala's family).

 

In northern end,the 7th and 8th slab carry the figures of Vastupala with Lalitha

Devi and Viryta Devi and Tejapala with Anupama Devi,the guiding spirit behind

this venture of Tejapala and is rightly described in the inscription as a

" flower of celestial beauty,whose whole family was distinguished for prosperity,

modesty, wisdom, decorum and talent.

 

 

 

 

 

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