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brothers Veatupala and Tejpala mentioned above. The temple has a large outer hall or rangamandapa. To keep a wide space clear of pillars the low dome has pushed to the extreme the technique of constructing such a dome with overlapping stone slabs and the technique of support which has allowed the structure to stand for many centuries is something of a puzzle to modern architects. Mount Abu was already the site of a temple erected two hundred years earlier by Vimala Shah, a minister of the king of Gujarat. It is said that he built it as penance for the blood shed when he was sent as a military commander to quell a rebellion. The oustanding feature of the Mount Abu temples is the extraordinary intricacy of the marble carving. Practically every surface and every structural detail is covered with figures and delicate tracery.
Jainism has made a considerable contribution to the architectural heritage of India, not only in the splendours of the great temple cities but also in countless other edifices, great and small through
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out the length and breadth of the sub-continent. New temples, some of them very splendid, keeping to the traditional forms, are still being erected. Unhappily there are old temples in areas where the Jain population has declined which have fallen into decay. In a way, though, this shows that the Jaintemple is a vital living institution, not simply an artistic museum piece. The temples of the great pilgrimage centres attract throngs of the devotees. But the smaller less well-known temples as well are centres for active religious life, it is right to beautify the edifice which houses the Jina image, as a sign of pious devotion and because the beauty of the surroundings can lead people to a spirit of religious worship. Some, it is true, prefer to worship in plain surroundings: they are, or should be, respected by those who prefer more elaborate outward forms. The object of Jain worship is not really confined within walls, but the temple, hallowed by the presence of the Jina image and by the prayers of devotees is a most important institution of the living faith of the Jains.
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