Jain Pilgrimage

Author(s): Lalitprabhsagar
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 59

Beholding the VIMALWASAHEE
Among the prominent tourist spots of India, the name of Mount Abu has been renowned for centuries gone by. Developed in the midst of high mountain ranges, the natural form of this tourist spot is like the Heaven itself. Also the Delwada Jain temple here has been the main attraction on world level. At least 15 lakh tourists come here every year to have a glimpse of and pay their homage to this temple. Probably there is no other temple or building in the world which can be compared with the sculptured art of the Delwada temple. The Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the most magnificent buildings of India. But when any tourist, after being fascinated by the Taj Mahal comes to Delwada and observes the minutest details of the temple here, he becomes spell-bound, and exclaims - Oh........ ! Wonderful....! Unprecedented !! Rare.............!!!
There is such a variety of art in the temple here that its finesse cannot be gauged even after scrutinising it for several days. Factually Delwada, Ranakpur and Jaisalmer represent the Indian sculptural art.
Delwada has preserved in itself the immortal wealth of a unique structural art form. Made of milk-white bright marble the temples here present the rare artistry of the artistes on the one hand, whereas on the other hand, the saintly Jain statues convey the message of peace and penance and proffers a spiritual environment with boundless beauty. By viewing the temples, the visitor becomes so much emotionally charged that the closed windows of his heart gets opened, and his consciousness becomes eager to become dedicated at the auspicious feet of the supreme soul.
Delwada is in fact, a cluster of five temples. Two of the temples here are indeed very big and the remaining three temples are the complements of the temples' vastness. The finesse of architectural beauty, their delicacy and the minute ornamentation of the domes and the cornices win the hearts of the tourists at the very first glance. The sculptural images of artistically engraved depictions of dance and drama are unprecedented, unique. The domes hanging and rocking on the roofs of the temple and in the campus spreading around the artistically sculptured idols of Mother Saraswati, Ambika, Lakshmi, Shankheshwari, Padmavati and Sheetala goddesses are unprecedented examples of sculptural art. In order to view the finesse of the sculptural art, seeing the nails and the nose tips of these idols are enough.
The sculptors of Delwada temples have wielded the chisels so skilfully that the artistry which they have shown on marble will be difficult to be shown on ivory. Almost all
LOONWASAHI TEMPLE : A treasure of art
The upper portion of the mini-temples of Devrani-Jethani
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