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Jain
Temples Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
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Location:
The city of Jaisalmer is an ancient city of Rajasthan famous for its unsurpassed architectural wealth.
It shimmers like a mirage amidst the desolate beauty of the hot barren deserts of
Rajasthan. The Jaisalmer Fort, perched atop the triangular-shaped Trikuta Hills, contains some gems of Jain temple buildings, while beautifully decorated havelis are scattered throughout the town. The city
has a large number of tourist sites as Jaisalmer Fort ,
Salim Singh ki Haveli ,Patwon-ki-Haveli ,Nathmal-ki-Haveli ,Desert Culture Centre and Museum.
Jain community built many temples in and around Jaisalmer. |
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The Parshvanath Temple
The Parswanath Temple is the oldest main temple and the most beautiful of the Jain
temples. The walls of the sanctum are carved with animal and human
figures.There is a small dome which is crowned by an amalak and a water pot
containing a lotus flower. The temple was destroyed in 1152, but was reconstructed in 1615 by Seth Tharu Shah and further additions were commisssioned in 1675 and 1687.
Three exquisitely sculptured Jain temples dedicated
to Rishabhdevji, Sambhavanathji and the Ashthapadi temple are located within the fort. Their
ornamentation, done in the style of the Dilwara temples at Mt. Abu, is
marvelous. The emerald icon of Mahavira here is an unparalleled gem.
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Lodurva:
Once the capital of Rawal Jaisal, Lodurva now has ruins of the
ancient townhip. Lodurva is the original capital of the Bhattis, before Jaisal built the Jaisalmer fort in 1156. The town of Lodurva is much older than Jaisalmer
and was sacked several times, most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century and then by Mohammad Ghori in the next century.
It is an important center of Jain pilgrimage. The temples at Lodurva exhibit some more fine examples of
intricate craftsmanship on yellow stone. Lodurva, the ancient capital of the
Bhattis, is 16 km from Jaisalmer. Its ruins are visited for the great Jain temple and the
Kalpataru, a mythical tree of wish fulfillment.
Rishabhnath Temple
Rishabhnath Temple is the second Jain Temples at Lodurva, located near the ruins of the palace of Moomal and the once gushing watercourse of the river
Kak. The temple was commissioned by Seth Sachcha and constructed in 1479.
Shambhavanath Temple
Shambhavanath Temple is the third important Jain temple in Lodurva
is dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara Shambhavnath. The whole temple complex is surmounted by an octagonal pyramidal roof, and a fortification wall.
A temple in each corner of the complex is dedicated to a different
Tirthankara; Rishabhnath in the southwest, Parshvanath in the northeast, Ajitanath
in the southeast and Shambhavnath in the northwest. All these temples date back from 1618.
Lodurva has a great number of peacocks that hover around the temple walls lending spectacular colour
to the dry and stony landscape. Amar Sagar is a grand artificial reservoir for water with a temple and a promenade on the bank that is a lovely place for a picnic.
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