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Post-Mahavira Period and the Contribution of Jainism
breathtaking. 412 The remarkable temples dedicated to Jaina worship at Mount Abu carry to its highest perfection the Indian genius for the invention of graceful patterns and their application to the decoration of masonry.413 The beauty of the ceilings, pillars, doorways, niches and panels of the Jaina temples at Mount Abu is mind boggling.414
In decorative sculpture, as distinguished from individual statuary, the Jainas encouraged work of a high order of excellence and beauty, employed to adorn with the utmost possible magnificence the pillared chambers which were their favourite form of architecture. 415 Nothing in the world can surpass for richness and delicacy of detail the marble columns and ceilings of the Mount Abu temples, and it would be easy to fill a large volume with illustrations of more or less similar exquisite work in many localities.416 In fact, the Jaina temples at Mount Abu eclipse all monuments in India in aesthetic exuberance.417 The whiteness of marble in these temples symbolises the passionless purity of this ascetic faith. 418 The astounding profuseness of the marvellous traceries of the fairly ceilings of these temples have put to shade the pendents of the Westminster Abbey.419
The Jaina temples of west India represent in material form the concept of the ultimate and eternity as put forth by Jainism.420 Of the Jaina temples at Palitana, Fergusson writes,
It is by watching the methods still followed in designing buildings in that remote locality that we become aware how it is that the uncultivated
412.
A.K. Coomaraswamy, op. cit., p. iii, H. Zimmer, op. cit., p. 268; HOFA, p. 32. 413. IGI, II, p. 124.
414.
H. Zimmer, op. cit., p. 268.
415. HOFA, p. 270.
416. Ibid.
417. O.C. Gangoly, Indian Architecture, p. 44.
418. Ibid.
419. Ibid.
420.
AJAA, p. 378.
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