Dilwara Temple

Dilwara Temple

Location: Mount Abu

State: Rajasthan

Principle Deity: Jain Thirthankar

Dilwara Temple

Dilwara Temple interior

The Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2½ kilometers from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples dating back from the 11th to the 13th century AD are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are the sacred pilgrimage of the Jains. They are an overwhelming blend of simple beauty and exquisite elegance. The marble temples have an opulent entranceway. The simplicity in architecture verily reminds one that Jainism as a religion "encouraged honesty and frugality". The temples reside amidst mesmerizing surroundings of mango trees and wooded hills. A high wall, shimmering luminous in the sunlight, shrouds the temple complex.

Although the Jains built some beautiful temples at other places in Rajasthan but none come close to these in terms of architectural perfection. The ornamental detail spread over the minutely carved ceilings, doorways, pillars and panels is simply marvellous and has to be seen to be believed.

Five Unique Temples of Dilwara There are 5 temples in all, each with its own unique identity though together they are named after the small village in which they are located. These are:

Vimal Vasahi (Shri Adi Nathji temple)

Luna Vasahi (Shri Nemi Nathji temple)

Pithalhar (Shri Rishabh Deoji temple)

Khartar Vasahi(Shri Parshav Nathji temple)

Mahaveer Swami (Shri Mahaveer Swamiji temple)

The most famous of these are the Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi temple.