Jaisalmer is one of the most
popular tourist destinations in Rajasthan for its Golden Fort of the Shonar Qila – a name given to it by the famous Bengali writer/director Satyajit Ray. The fort is constructed of golden sandstone which turns to honey goldtones with the rays of the setting sun.
I will vouch for its sandy goldiness as I witnessed it first hand on a trip to Jaisalmer a few years back. The fort is a living one for most of its population within its walls and thrives from here. It lends quite a festive
touch to the fort which are otherwise a sombre affair with their artful
architecture and historic monotones.
The fort also house seven Jain temples, interconnected in a maze like arrangement and are also built out of the golden sandstone. The architectural details of these temples take inspiration from the famous Dilwara (Mt.Abu) and Ranakpur (Udaipur) temples – both in Rajasthan.
A beautifully worked ceiling with some amazing colours caught my eye and I strained to get it perfectly in my camera.
These Jain temples are said to be built in the 15th-16th century and are open all day to Jain devotees. Non-Jains need to adhere to the visiting times which are from early morning to about 12 noon. Also all shoes, leather items are to be deposited outside the temple as these are considered unclean to be carried inside the temple.
All the idols are made in some stone or the other and show a seated avatar.
The seven temples are dedicated to different Tirthankars – Parsavanath, Chandraprabhu, Rishabdeb, Shitalnath, Kuntinath, Shantinath and Sambhavnath. These temples are built back to back or adjacent to each other and I was quite confused as to where one began and the other ended.
A gorgeous series of columns flank long corridors which leads to the inner sanctums in one of the temple.
All I can say with certain clarity is the architectural carving were uniquely intricate and blew me away with their precision. Everywhere I looked – ceiling, domes, brackets, pillars, walls, corridors, columns- all were decorated with fine detailing in stone work representing animals, plants and deity figurines.
A deity is carved with amazing dexterity and entwined with other symbolic carvings, each highlighting the craftsmanship.
Unbelievable peace reigned supreme in the temples, despite them being live temples and there was no noise or dirt in any form there. Each and every wall is adorned with beatific carvings that echo the love of art and architecture of the patrons who indulged in buildings such gorgeous sanctums of religions.
I loved this demon like head which projected out from the base of a wall and seems to be a water spout of some kind or maybe hold oil.
Have you visited any of the Jain temples in India? What do you
think about them?
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About Shalzmojo
An interior designer by profession, writing is a passion which coupled with travel love blossomed into this blog where I love to just “do my thing”! Be it recipes, food events, travel jaunts, fiction dreaming or even meditative musings; all of it’s taken up quite passionately on my blog. I am a serious wine guzzler and love to chase butterflies in my free time.
Read about Ravanhatha in Pushkar
This post is written for the December bloghop #mymojo with Shalzmojo
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Rajasthan has a rich history indeed. The more I read about it..the more I long to pay a visit!
ReplyDeleteJaisalmer has been on my wish list for the longest time. That demon like head does make me wonder why was it there ?:) Also love the ceiling, next time I go anywhere I need to take pics like you do!
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