Temples in Jaisalmer Rajasthan

Temples showcase the best available skills in the art and architecture of the time. The serenity of a
temple is the essence of the spiritual ethos of the religion. To a devotee visiting tile temple it is this link
with his God that is far more precious than the chitectural magnificence of the temple. The ancient
temples of Jaisalmer are of two kindsHindu and Jain. Of these the Jain temples predominate because
of their sheer magnificence.

All temples progress from the profane to the sacred, a hierarchical transformation of both space and the
self the various architectural features merely emphasizing this experience. Most temples have an axial
planning with the innermost sanctum and are built on a high plinth accessible by steps. The main
architectural elements being:

Jagati (area before steps)-steps-entrance gateway-ard-hamandapa (corridor before main hall)-mandapa

(main hall)-garba griha (sanctum sanctorum)

The garba griha being the most pure, by the time the devotee reaches it, he would have shed all worldly
and impure thoughts. A shikhara or spire is essentially placed directly above the garba griha, the
connotation being with the mythical mountain Meru and it signifies both the connection of man with
God and of God with the cosmos.

Jaisalmer temples are an integral component of the must do tourist sightseeing as a part of the
Jaisalmer Tour Packages some of the more popular temples with the traveller are :
Jain Temples

The famous Jain temples of Jaisalmer are built on the Solanki and Veghela principles of western Indian
temple 111 architecture. The entrances to the Jain temples are deco-rated with toranaselaborately
carved arches attached to

pillars on both sides. Walking through, one reaches a vast ob-long open platform with a staircase in the
centre leading up to the mandapa, a hall where devotees gather for worship. It is on this floor, a certain
determined distance away, that Mulunayaka, the main deity is installed in the sanctum called the garba
griha. This area forms the main temple, the muluprasada.

The main temple is attached to the mukhaman-dapa, a pillared vestibule and the gudhamandapa, a hall
closed with walls, which are interconnected and lie on the same axis. The mukhamandapa leads to the
dancing hall called the rangamandapa. The most distinctive fea-ture of this hall is the central lotus-
shaped pendant in the ceiling called the loka, generally exquisitely deco-rated and perfectly detailed.
The twenty-four tirthankaras (Jain saints) are all enshrined in smaller shrines called devikulikas and are
connected to each other through their garba porches called brahamantika, forming a corridor that
breaks at the point of ingress into the rangamandapa. The imposing shikhara can always be seen from
afar, the spires of the adjoining smaller tem-ples are pyramidal or bell-shaped, together making a
distinctive cluster. The exteriors of temples very often have beautifully carved decorative roofs and
porches; intricate geometric patterns and figurines of deities and apsaras or celestial nymphs are carved
to present a sumptuous feast for the eyes.

Jain Temples in the Fort

Exquisite Jain temples were built by wealthy Jain traders in the 15th-16th century, an era when
Jaisalmer was an important trading post. These temples house some rare works of art and ancient
manuscripts which have been saved due to the tenacity with which the Rajput protects his place of
worship. In lieu of this favour the Maharawal of-ten asked the traders to finance the building of many of
the bastions in the fort, a re-quest to which they necessarily had to accede.

Parsavnathji Temple

Jai Singh, a wealthy Oswal trader, constructed this temple during the reign of Ma-harawal Lakshman.
The consecration ceremony took place in A.D. 1416. The main idol of Lord Parsavnathji was brought
from Luderva, the ancient Bhati capital. Later many idols were added and the temple now has an
astounding 1253 images.

A splendidly crafted torana at the entrance of the temple adorned by dancing apsaras is the first thing
that strikes the eye. Steps lead up to the main temple connecting it to the mukha-chatuski or the porch.
Three toranas that make up its roof bear images of the tirthankaras. Heavily ornamented, this temple
has carved sculptures of human torsos, animals and apsaras on its walls. The temple is also called
Navtornia after the nine toranas in the mandapa pillars.

Sambhavnathji Temple

The building of this temple began in A.D. 1417 and was completed in A.D. 1420. The consecration
ceremony took place the same year.

It is in this temple that the Jinabhadra Suri Gyan Granth along with other ancient Jain manuscripts and
miniatures are preserved in two underground cells fiercely guarded by the temple priests. The temple
has a total of 604 images according to the 'vridhi ratnamala'. The ceiling of the rangamandapa is shaped
like a lotus and is adorned with a 'rasmandala' of apsaras and gandharvas with alternating cross-legged
jina figures. The sculptures in this temple of apsaras and other secular figures are extremely rare, as are
the jinas carved in the niches making this temple unique not only for its architectural wealth but also for
its superior stone carvings.

Shitalnathji and Kunthanathji Temples

These unusual two-storeyed temples are said to have been completed around A.D. 1490. The sanctum
of Kunthanathji is on the ground floor with four torana pillars of the rangamandapa bearing the load of
the plain ceiling. Shitalnathji is raised majestically on the floor above and the upper rangamandapa has a
decorative ceiling in stepped pyramidal fashion with open balconies on all four sides. The most
distinctive feature of these temples is the roof carved with roaring lions and diagonally arranged mini-
pyramids.
Chandprabhuji Temple

It is the only three-storeyed temple in the cluster, said to be similar in its design to the great
Chaturmukha temple at Ranakpur. The rangamandapa is formed by eight decorative pillars and is
adorned by amorous couples and images of Parsavnathji with a unique lotus pendant. The shikhara is
open on all four sides with balcony windows forming the third storey. A group of small shikharas goes all
the way up and links to the main shikhara, making it an interesting architectural feature.

Rishabdevji Temple

Available records maintain that this elegant temple was consecrated in A.D. 1479. Over six hundred
images are said to be sculpted in this temple. The rangamandapa in sharp contrast to the other temples
in the cluster is devoid of any ornamentation, not even a pendant, but a few paintings of a procession of
tirthankaras are visible. The parapet wall around the shikhara adds charm to the temple. The last among
the Jain temples in the fort is a small temple set apart from the cluster in Chaugan pada, dedicated to
Mahavir swami and said to have been built in

Rare Palm Leaf Manuscripts

The Granth bhandars in Jaisalmer preserve an extremely rare collection of Jain manuscripts, most of
which are brought from Gujarat. The total collection is comprised of more than three thousand
manuscripts that include live hundred

A.D. 1524. The sculptures and carvings in this temple are not exceptional and the plan follows the
regular pat-tern.
Luderva

Though the cluster of Jain temples in the fort are of a rare beauty and historical significance, the Jain
temples at Luderva and Amar Sagar too are extremely beautiful and have deep historical value.

Luderva was the ancient capital of the Bhati Rajputs before Rawal Jaisal moved his capital to Jaisalmer.
Not much remains of the capital except the ruins of some old houses and wells. A beautiful old Jain
temple stands on the banks of the river Kak, which having been destroyed during the upsurge of Gori in
A.D. 1152, was rebuilt in A.D. 1615.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Parsavnathji and the palm leaf manuscripts. The Oglumiryukkti Vritti
composed by Dronacharya in A.D. 1060 is the oldest and most important manuscript in this treasure
trove. One of the oldest paper leaf manuscripts entitled Nyayavariika Tatintnia Tika written by
Vachaspan Mishra in A.D. 1222 is also part of this collection.

Idol is guarded by a multi-headed serpent canopy in black stone. The entire temple complex is
sensitively crafted with the torana being truly exceptional. The kalpavriksh or the celestial tree of life is
an uncanny imitation of a real tree.

Four small temples were built later in A.D. 1618 on each corner of the main temple and a fortified wall
surrounds it. The priests of the temple fondly claim that a serpent comes out to drink milk that is left as
an offering for him every day. Jain devotees from all over the world visit Luderva.

Jain Temple
Amar Sagar Dedicated to Adisvar Bhagwan, this two-storeyed temple stands on the banks of Amar Sagar
and is testimony to the fact that superb craftsmanship was available as late as A.D. 18 71 when Seth
Himmat Ramji Bafana built this temple. A latticed ve-randah has been made in the place of the
mukhacha-tuski. Waterways flank the path of the temple and extensive work is being carried out to
extend the temple complex. Two other temples on the northern bank of Amar Sagar are dedicated to
Lord Adinathji.

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in India, since 1995.