Jain Pilgrimage

Author(s): Lalitprabhsagar
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 63

Sunflowers hanging from the dome
EYE
sculptures on the ceilings overwhelm the viewers.
Outside the tenth edifice of the temple, there is the scene from Tirthankar Neminath's biography. Besides the minute engraving of the marriage procession of Lord Neminath, Lord Krishna's water-sport has also been sculptured here.
Between the twenty-second and the twenty-third edifices, there is a cave-like temple, wherein a huge duskygreen coloured image of Tirthankar Aadinath has been installed. Vimal Shah had retrieved this idol from inside the earth by the grace of mother Ambika, before the construction of Vimalvasahi. Archaeologically, this idol is very ancient and has an importance of its own. In this portion of the temple, there are several ancient idols of various sizes.
In the twenty-third edifice there is an attractive idol of Mother Ambika who has been the object of worship of the builders of the temple. In the thirty-second edifice, there is the scene of the defeat of the Kaalia snake at the hands of Shree Krishna. On one side Shree Krishna is lying on the bed of live entwined coils of Shesh Nag (divine snake), and on the other side Krishna and Baldev are playing 'gullidanda' (a game played with a wooden stick and a wooden bell similar to those put atop the stumps in cricket), on the bank of river Yamuna. In the thirty-eighth edifice there is the artistic image of Vidyadevi with sixteen hands and riding a lion.
On the dome of the forty-second edifice, there are fascinating images of Saraswati (goddess of learning) riding a peacock, Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) riding an elephant and goddess Shankheshwari riding on Garud (a huge divine bird). The minute details of the sculpture are view-worthy
In the forty-fourth edifice there are the engraved arch and the image of Lord Shree Varishen with background arch. Outside the forty-sixth to forty-eighth edifices, the images of sixteen-handed Sheetala, Saraswati and Padmavati carved on the dome, are extremely beautiful.
The most artistic part of the temple is its stage with auditorium. From a big round dome, supported by twelve ornamental pillars and artistically beautiful arches, are suspended eleven roundish garlands of elephants, horses, ducks, dancers etc., together with the bunches of crystalhangings. Atop every pillar are damsels playing musical instruments and above them are very beautiful and impressive images of sixteen Vidya Devis riding on various kinds of vehicles. There are nine square-shaped 'Chaukis', above the stage, on the ornamented ceiling with various kinds of beautiful engravings.
In the main sanctum sanctorum a very delicate and eye-filling idol of Lord Rishabhdev is installed. In the deep mandap, the idols of Lord Parshwanath, standing in meditational postures are also fascinating. Outside the Vimalwasahi temple is the stable of elephants which was restored in 1991 A.D.
LOONA VASHI TEMPLE - This temple is the heart
One of the over-a-hundred domes
D
ELEA
KUEN
EL
1998
Flowers blooming on stone . A dome
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