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straight line. This kind of holy persons are called veer or the brave. The unadorned postures of the sculpted images remind us of highly accomplished Yogis.
The Jain art has a distinct style of its own. The sculptures of the Tirthankaras follow a set pattern of stylization, the origins of which may well be traced back to some tradition which might not be directly linked to India. The architecture of the Jain temples by and large follow the architecture of the Hindu temples. Thus the magnificent edifices of the Jain temples of Gujarat and Rajasthan belonging to a period ranging from 10th to 13th century i.e. before the muslim invasions and the resultant damages they have suffered from, have close correspondences with the temples in Khajuraho.
Indian architecture is characterized by its delicately executed highly intricate designs that adorn it. These include decorative designs carved in wood, marble and elephant tusks. The most exquisite examples of such decorative designs are to be found not in the Hindu temple architecture but in the Jain temple architecture of Gujarat. The magnificent Jain temples on the mount Abu are among the most exquisite examples of the kind. These pinnacles of Jain architecture were built during 1032 to 1234.
These temples are a symbol of the indefatigable spirit and great tenacity of the Indian people which enable them to rise up in unison and scale newer hights of excellences and achievements every time after being attacked and ravaged by outside invaders. Mahammad Gazni looted the treasures of and destroyed the great temple of Somnath. A number of edifices were erected in North India as a protest against this act of barbarism. But this time, the patrons were not kings but businessmen and the common men. The temples of Abu were built not by kings but by business men and the men in the street. The chief temple here is dedicated to Shri Rushabhnath. It was built by Vimal Shah in 1031 at the behest of Shri Vardhamansuri belonging to the Swetambar sect of Jainism. The whole temple is built using white marble. The artistry. and the carvings are of the highest order of excellence. The entire structure abounds in magnificent Kalpavrukshas (Kalpavruksha is a celestial tree that has the capacity to grant all that one wishes under it), delicate damsels of heaven and shapely human figures. And we have some intricately carved forms in the shape of chandeliars hanging from the ceilings above. Opposite to the temple of Rushabhnath is the temple dedicated to the twentysecond Tirthankar Shri Neminath which was built by Tejpal and Vastupal in 1232. Instead of amassing huge amounts of wealth only to burry it unproductively under the earth, the leading businessmen and the ardent devotees of the period depleted their treasures in helping to erect magnificent temples and other sacred edifices on the mountains of Abu, Shatrunjay, Girnar, and so on.
26 Jain Kashthapat Chitra
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