Abu temples

This presentation is prepared for the BA students to get basic and general information on the subject. This presentation is incomplete and students advised to get the further and proper information from subjective and recommended books and research articles.

1. Abu Temples:
Vimalavasahiand
Lunavasahi
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
A.I.H.C. & Archaeology
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

2. Abu Temples:
Vimalavasahiand
Lunavasahi

3. Background
•AbutemplesarepopularlyknownasDilwaraTemplesof
Rajasthan.
•Thesetemplesaresignificantfortheirartisticwork.
•ThesearegroupofJaintemplelocatedinMountAbuin
Rajasthan.
•Theyconstructedbetweenthe11thto13thcenturiesCE.
•ThesetemplesareconstructedbyMarbleandhasintricate
carvings.
•Theplacewasknownintheancienttimesas
DevalapatakaorDevakulapataka(Acityofgroupof
temples).

4. Introduction
•Inthehugetemplecomplextherearefive
importantshrines:
1.VimlaVasahitemple:1stTirthankaraRishabnath
2.LunaVasahiTemple:22ndTirthankaraNeminath
3.PitalaharTemple:1stTirthankaraRishabnath
4.KhartarVasahiTemple:23rdTirthankara
Parshvnath
5.MahaviraSwamiTemple:23rdTirthankara
Parshvnath

5. Characteristics Features of the
temple
•Belongs to Jain Religion
•Group of temple
•Situated adjacent to each other
•Enclosed in compound with corridor
•Made of Marble
•Intricate Carving from inside; plain from outer
•Minute carving on ceilings
•Pillars are also beautifully decorated
•Hasthshala
•Torna

8. Vimal-Vasahi
Temple

9. Vimal VasahiTemple
•Oneoftheoldestinthegroup
•VimalVasahiTemplewasbuiltin1032CE.
•ThetemplewasconstructedbyVimalShahaministerofBhimaI
•ThetempleisdedicatedtoRishabhanath(Aadinath)
•Enclosedincourtyardsurroundedbyacorridor
•Corridorhasnumerouscells(Devkulis)containingidolsoftheJaintirthankaras
•TempleismadebywhitemarblebroughtfromArasoorihill
•Thetemplewasconstructedwiththehelpof1500masonsand12000laborersworkedfor14years

11. Components of the
Vimal VasahiTemple
1. Garbhgriha
2. Antarala
3. GudaMandapa)
4. Navchoki(A Portico)
5. Rang Mandpa(Sabha
Mandpa)
6. Corridor

13. GudhMandpaand Garbhgruha
and Antarala
•GudhMandpa:
•Main deity of sanctum is visible from here
•Purpose: Worship hall
•Garbhagriha :
•Square on plan
•Impressively decorated gateway of sanctum
•Aadi nathidol is placed
•Antarala
•Narrow passage between Gudhmandapaand Sanctum

16. Rang mandapa and
Navchoki
•Entry of Rang mandapa from 3 sides
•Central Pillars are highly decorated,
•Pillars are aligned each other forms Carved-Arched known as Tornas,
•Thesetoransarelikegarland,richlydecoratedarchespendingfromthemiddlebetweentwocolumns,
•Ceiling (dome) is also gorgeously carved
•Navchokiis portico, has nine rectangular ceilings
•Each encompasses different decoration

18. Corridor (Cells)
•Templeisenclosedwithcompoundwall.
•Innersideofthewallisformingcorridorhavingnumberofsmallshrines(cells).
•ThesesmallshrinesalsoknownasDevkulikas
•Total42DevkulikasembeddedstatueofJainTirthankaras.
•Thesecellsarealsodecoratedparticularlyceiling

19. The Hathishala
•Hathishala(elephant cell):
•Constructed by Prithvipalin 1147-49 CE
•Hathishalacontents row of independent elephants
sculptures
•Total 10 elephants
•Made of Marble

20. Art in Vimal Vasahi
•Theceilingsofthetempleconsistdesignsoflotus-buds,
petals,flowersandlifeoftirthankaras.
•Sociallifelikemusician,dancersandsoldieralongwith
animallifearealsocarved.
•Total42devakulikas(smallshrine)consisttheimageof
Tirthankaras.
•Theceilingofthetemplehascarvingsofanimalslike
horses,elephantsetc.

21. Vimal Vasahi

22. Luna VasahiTemple

23. Luna Vasahi
•StoneinscriptionsfoundinsidetheLunaVasahiprovide
informationaboutthistempleanditspatron:
•ThiswasdedicatedtotheNeminatha.
•TheLunaVasahiwasestablishedbyagovernmentofficial
namedTejpala(VastupalandTejpal)onMarch3,1230.
•TheLunaVasahi’sinscriptiontellsusthatTejpalabuiltthis
templeforthemeritofhiswife,Anupamadevi,andhisson,
Lavanya-simha.
•Thetemplewasnamedforthisson,“Luna”beinga
shortenedversionof“Lavanya”.
•Ittook15yearstoconstruct.
•TheChiefarchitectwas”Shobhandev”

24. Luna Vasahi
•LunaVasahibuiltin1230,almost200yearsafterVimalVasahi.
•AlsoknownasTejpalTemple
•Componentsofthetemple(SimilartoVimalVasahi)
1.Garbhgriha
2.GudaMandapa
3.Navchoki(A Portico)
4.Rang Mandpa(Sabha Mandpa)
•ThetempleisdedicatedtoNeminath
•Enclosedincompound,surroundedbycorridor
•CorridorhasnumerouscellscontainingidolsoftheJaintirthankaras

25. LunaVasahi
•“T”Shapeplan
•Size52m.x28.5m.
•East-westAxis
1.Garbhgriha
2.GudaMandapa
3.Navchoki(A Portico)
4.Rang Mandpa(Sabha
Mandpa)
•Enclosed in wall
•Corridor
•52 Devkulis(cells)

26. GudaMandapa, Sanctum and
Antarala
•No pillars at the central
area
•Just a simple hall
•Small Antarala
•Highly decorated
entrance of the sanctum
•Back stone image of
Neminatha.

27. Rangmandapa
•Circularonplan
•CentralDome
•CentraleightpillarsassociatedeachotherandformingTorna(curvedarches).
•Ceilingisenormouslydecoratedwithvarioussculpturesincludingtirthankaras
•Pillarsarealsoadornwithminutedetailsandsculpturesofgodandgoddesses.

30. Corridor (Devkulis)
and Hathishala
•Total 52 Devkulis
•Contains mostly life of Neminatha
•Each cell has a image of Jain Tirthankaras
•Ceiling is also decorated
•10 elephant sculptures
•Made of marble
•Ten slabs behind the elephant contain a figure of couple

31. Art of Luna Vasahi
•Theceilingillustratesepisodesfromthelifeofthe22nd
Jina,Neminatha,insevenbands.
•Itiseightfeetinwidthandthenarrativescenesfacetwo
directions.
•TheLunaVasahi,surroundedbypillars,ceilings,brackets,
andbeamsofwhitemarble,sculptedinstunningdetail.
•Bracketsonthecapitals(ortops)oftheeightpillarsthat
supportthedomedceilingarecarvedintheformoffemale
dancers.

33. Thank You