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98 : JAINS TODAY IN THE WORLD
ornamentations on its pillars and the domes of its "mandapa". In the choir (garbha-grha), one can see a statue of the Jina covered by gold leaves and the eyes in diamonds. It is from this town that a Jain community emigrated and constitutes now the “caste" of the "Oshwals" still united and active.
century with
Pachar, a temple dating from the end of the XIX frescos, mirrors and coloured glasses,
Padmapura, near Jaipur, beautiful Jain temples in white marble and a dharmaśālā,
Panasar, a splendid Jain temple with statues that had been buried here and later found again, a sanctuary dedicated to Mahāvīra and to five other Tīrthankara. There is also a temple dedicated to Pārsva.
Paroli, near Vejalpur, a beautiful Jain temple dedicated to Nemi with a statue of him that had been hidden in the past to avoid destruction by Muslim invaders,
Phalodi, a library (bhandāra) with numerous old Jain manuscripts,
Ranakpur, at 95 kms from Udaipur, one of the masterpieces of Jain art one must visit. Jain tradesmen amassed fortunes here, in medieval period, and had important functions in the administration of Mewar kingdom. One of them, Sanghvi Dharana Shah, Prime Minister of King Kumbhā, hired the very famous architect Deepak to construct temples figuring the “Siddhaloka”. These temples are as marvellous, by their fineness, as those of Dilwara on Mount Abu.
To mention especially the temple of Ādinātha, erected in the XVh century by Deepak. It is magnificent by its sculptures and its shape a Greek cross with “mandapa" around the choir that faces the four directions. The wall enclosing the courtyard shelters 84 chapels with statues of Tīrthankara. All the 1444 pillars of this sanctuary are different.
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