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TEMPLES OF DELWÄDÄ
the couple considered it as the consequence of their unwholesome Karma. Once they happened to meet Dharmaghosh-suri, who was the well known Jain Ächärya of that time. Vimalshä regularly listened to his sermons which made him even more religiously oriented.
As he remembered his involvement in past wars, he felt very sorry for the violence and sins he had committed. He sincerely repented for it. In view of his genuine repentance, the Acharya asked him to construct a temple at Chandraväti and make it a center of pilgrimage to help atone for the violence caused during the wars. Vimalshä was pleased to hear this suggestion and made up his mind to construct a grand temple.
He was also a devotee of Ambikä Devi, the goddess in service of Tirthankar Neminäth. He decided to invoke her in order to get her blessings. The goddess was pleased with the earnestness of his worship and asked him what he wanted. He asked for a son and the capability to construct a monumental temple at Chandraväti. However, the goddess asked him to select one of the two. Vimalshä opted for the temple. Goddess Ambikä granted his wish.
Then Vimalshä selected a site for the temple on top of a mountain and bought the land for 45,360,000 gold coins. The foundation stone was laid with deep faith. However, it was not easy to construct the temple. It was a Herculean task. Artisans were not locally available, there was no road leading from the foot of the mountain to the top, and marble had to be brought from a great distance. Vimalshä was determined to complete the project at any cost. He made all the necessary arrangements for transporting the materials to the top and hired the best sculptors in the country for carrying out the work.
All possible care was taken to see that the artisans did not face any difficulty, and the project did not encounter any problems. It took 14 years to finish the project and the temple was constructed at a cost of 185,300,000 gold coins. The opening ceremony was performed with great fanfare and enthusiasm under the guidance of Dharmaghosh-suri, Vardhamänsuri, and other Achäryas.
Intricate carving in the ceiling of Delwädä Temple
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| SR No. | 201072 |
| Book Title | Temples of Delwada |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publisher | JAINA Education Committee |
| Publication Year | 2010 |
| Total Pages | 5 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Article, Jaina_Education, & 0_Jaina_education_Story |
| File Size | 1 MB |