Historical Facts About Jainism

Author(s): Lala Lajpatrai
Publisher: Jain Associations of India Mumbai

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DEWADA TEMPLES. Referring to the famous Delwada Temples at Mount Abu and specially the one built by Vimala, Bhimdev's minister, in 1031 A.D., the same author says that “it is simpler and bolder though as elaborate as good taste would allow in any purely architectural object. Being one of the oldest as well as one of the most complete example of a Jain temple its peculiarities form a convenient introduction to the style, and among. other things serve to illustrate how complete and perfect it had already become when we first meet with it in India. The marble dome in this temple is of great beauty from its very rich carving”. “In the roofs of corridor of this temple also there is a series of carving of most complicated ornamental designs that are quite unrivalled anywhere else.” Referring to the Tejpal temple the author writes "Above the second row of ornaments 16 bracket pedastals are introduced supporting statues and the centred is a pendent of the most exquisite beauty ; the wliole is in white marble and finished with a delicacy of detail and appropriateness of ornamients which is probably unsurpassed, by any similar examples to be found anywhere else. Those introduced by the Gothic architects in Henry VII Chapel at Westninister or at Oxford are coarse and clumsy in comparison. It is difficult by any means of illustration to convey a correct idea of the extremebeauty and delicacy of this pendent ornaments,