TEJPAL TEMPLE

VIMLA VASAHI TEMPLE

 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

•According to the local legend before

becoming the minister,the two
brothers Vastupala and Tejapala went on a
pilgrimage carrying with them
huge wealth,which they decided to burry
under a tree,but while digging they found •During their term in office they heard about the
more gold. holliness of Mt.Abu and decided to build a
temple there to Neminatha to commemorate
•At this point Anupama Devi,wife of Tejapala their dead brother Luniga.
advised them to build temples at Satrunjaya
and Girnar with their wealth. It is believed that when the eleborate and
intricate carvings were
finished,Tejapala asked the carvers to add
greater delicacy to the floral
patterns by more chiselling,offering them
reward in silver weighing as much as the marble
filed.

•Later Tejapala offered gold in weight to the

marble if it could be chiselled further.
LOCATION
The jain Tejapala temple of India is located about 2
and half kilometers from Mount Abu , Rajasthan’s
only hill station.

LANDSCAPE
Mount Abu is a popular hill station in
the Aravalli Range in Sirohi
district of Rajasthan state in
western India near the border with Gujarat.
The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau
22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak
on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 m
(5,650 ft) above sea level. It is referred to as
'an oasis in the desert' as its heights are
home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and
evergreen forests.
TEJAPALA TEMPLE

The Tejapala temple stands as the last of the monuments built in the Solanki style,which came to
an end with the occupation of Gujarat by the Muslims towards the end of 13th century.

The striking feature of the Tejapala temple is its dome which

stands on 8 pillars.The pendant of the dome is a perfect gem;
where it drops from the ceiling it looks like a cluster of half open
lotuses.

From the dome one's

attention is diverted to the
principal cell(Grabagriha),
which,when lighted reveals
the massive idol
of Naminatha.

Dome standing on 8 pillars

Garbagriha
There are in all 39 cells each containing one or more images.

Most of the ceilings in front of the cells are highly ornamented.The

reliefs in the porticoes of the cells depicts incidents from the life of
Neminatha, his marriage,deification etc.
The Hathikhana or the elephant room next claims our
attention.There are 10 elaborately carved elephants inside the
cell.Formerly the elephants carried the idols representing the
members of Vastupala's family,but now they have disappeared.
Behind the elephants are 10 slabs,each bearing a male and
female figureson it ( it is believed that these figures represent the
members of Figurines
Vastupala's family).
In northern end,the 7th and 8th slab carry the figures of
Vastupala with Lalitha Devi and Viryta Devi and Tejapala
with Anupama Devi,the guiding spirit behind this venture
of Tejapala and is rightly described in the inscription as a
"flower of celestial beauty,whose whole family was
distinguished for prosperity, modesty, wisdom, decorum
and talent.
 SPECIAL FEATURES

•The temple is not in the chaturmukha

form. However, it is supported on 8
pillars, with a dome on the garba griha.
The main hall or Rang mandap features a
central dome from which hangs a big
ornamental pendent featuring elaborate
carving, which appears to ‘hang from the
center more like a luster of crystal drops
than a solid mass of marble.’
Arranged in a circular band are 72 figures
of Tirthankaras, in sitting postures and
just below this band are 360 small figures
of Jain monks in another circular band.
The Hathishala or elephant cell features
10 beautiful marble elephants neatly
polished and realistically modelled.
• The Navchowki features some
of the most magnificent and
delicate marble stone cutting
works of the temple. Each of
the nine ceilings here seem to
exceed the others in beauty
and grace.
• The /features a black marble
idol of the 22nd Jain Tirthankar
Neminatha.
• The Kirthi Stambha is a big
black stone pillar that stands
on the left side of the temple.
• It is the last temple in Solanki
style.
 VIMAL VASAHI TEMPLE ( MOUNT ABU)
•Dilwara Jain Temples at Mount Abu is one of the finest Jain temples, built in the Nagara Style is
known world over for its extraordinary architecture and marvelous marble stone carvings. It seems
fairly basic temple from outside but, the temple interior showcases the extraordinary work of human
craftsmanship at its best.

•The ornamental details of marble stone carvings is phenomenal and unmatched, The minutely carved
ceilings and the pillars are just amazing. All this was done at a time when no transport or roads were
available at a height of 1200 metres in Mount Abu, Huge blocks of marble stones were transported on
elephant backs from the Arasoori Hills at Ambaji to this remote hilly region of Mount Abu. Dilwara
temples is also a popular Jain pilgrimage attraction.
•The earliest and the most important Jain temple of Dilwara, the Vimal Vasahi was built in
1032A.D. by Vimal Shah, minister and commander-in-chief of Bhima Dev I, Solanki ruler
of Gujarat. It took a time span of 14 years to build this brilliant piece of architecture.

•Vimal Shah was remorseful and spent the rest of his life
in religious discourse at Chandravati (near Abu road);
inspired by Jain Acharaya, to wash-out his sins
perpetrated in the battle fields, with the blessings of
tutelary deity Ambika, constructed this temple.

•Vimal Vasahi Temple is a Jain temple at 2.5 kms Mount

Abu town centre dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain
Tirthankaras.
•The metallic idol of Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara,
made of brass and gold makes it worth a visit for
tourists. The whole shrine covers an area of 140 ft. long
and 90 ft. broad. As we enter the temple we get a
glimpse of the grandeur of sculptured marble, exquisite
carvings of ceilings, domes, pillars and arches of the
temple which is beyond anyone's expectations.
ENTRY :
To enter the main temple located in the middle of the courtyard, it is
necessary to descend a few steps, creating the impression of stepping
under water into a crystalline world.

GARBA GRIHA (no. 1 in the plan) :

The Sanctum in the west is known as the garbba griha (literally, the
womb house), similar as in Hindu temples. In front of this are three
enclosed areas: a kind of vestibule, the so-called gudha mandapa

GUDHA MANDAP (no. 2 in the plan). :

Inside the profusely decorated doorway, is installed principal deity -
Lord Rishabdev, also called Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankar. Gudh-
Mandap is simple, meant for obeisance and 'Arti' to the deity.

1 2
NAVCHOKI (no. 3 in the plan ):
A portico, called the navchoki comprises of the nine rectangular
ceilings, each one containing beautiful carvings of different designs
supported on the ornate pillars.

RANGA MANDAPA ( Sabha Mandapa , no. 4 in the plan) :

A grand Hall supported by 12 decorated pillars and nicely carved out
arches with a central dome in the most exquisite design. Designs with
heavy ornamentation work can be seen. On the pillars are placed the
female figures playing musical instruments and 16 Vidhyadevis - the
goddesses of knowledge - each one having her own symbol.

3 4
•Orientation is east west direction.

•Only garbha griha, gudham, gudha mandapa andapa and navchoki date back to the time
of Vimal Shah. All other structures were constructed later spanning several epochs.

•Hastishala (Elephant Cell)

This was constructed by Prithvipal, a decedant of Vimal Shah in 1147-49 A.D. In the front
entrance statue of Vimal Shah originally carved in marble is seen, the statute was
mutilated and was repaired by plaster. A Smavasaran, circular in shape, is also noteworthy.

•During the restoration of the temple, they

have consciously dispensed with the
originally, undoubtedly ornate exterior.

•.Elaborately columned porticoes

surround the main shrine and front the
cells lining the courtyard. The entire
temple is carved out of white marble.
 ORNAMENTATION

•The crisp, thin and translucent shell-like treatment of the marble surpasses anything seen
elsewhere and some of the designs are just dreams of beauty.
•Each dome is ornamented with decorations which
are different from the other.

• The surface of the ceilings are sculptured with

incidents from Jaina mythologies, principally from
stories of the Satrunjaya Mahatmya as indicated by
the names engraved beneath them. Some of the
panels are devoted to representations of Siva,
Vishnu, Narasimha and other Hindu deities.

•But it is the octagonal assembly-hall terminating in

a magnificently curved dome which forms the most
striking and beautiful feature of the two temples, as
well as the distinguishing characteristic of the style.
•Each capital has four bracket struts from which spring ornamental arches, or toranas,
touching the centres of the beams above, the remaining two brackets supporting dancing
figures.

•The octagonal architraves develop into a circular cornice, richly carved, which support the
domes.
•The principal shrine from the entrance, the Sabhamandapa is with intricate forest of pillars
elaborately curved and ending in bracket capitals.

• Over these a series of upper dwarf columns are placed to give additional height to the
pillars, and on these upper columns rest the great beams or architraves.
•The domes are undoubtedly the pride of the Dilwara temples. The curve of the domes is
broken and relieved by a graduated series of ribs decorated with various derivatives of
lotus-shapes — while the centre of the dome develops into a lotus pendant of exquisite
design and workmanship.

•An important feature of the dome is a series of sixteen large

female figures standing on brackets and arranged in a circle,
each figure representing a “Vidyadevi” or “Sâsan-devi” of the
Tirthankara.

• This style of architecture and particularly the many details

of the ornaments and decorative lintels and toranas (the
angular struts springing from the lower capitals) have been
derived from wooden originals.
 Analytical drawings
Vimala Vasahi temple Tejpal temple (Luna Vasahi)

Entry

Garb griha
and dome
location

Gutha
mandapa
Vimala Vasahi temple
Tejpal temple (Luna Vasahi)

Portrait
gallery

Navjoki and
Rangmandapa

Corridor
and
portico
Bijal Lekhdia A-15
Maitry Patel A-24
Dev Sonani A-32
Dhvani Sutariya A-33
Kishan Malaviya A-36
Prabhuti Sorathiya A-37
Prince Viradiya A-42