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Explore one of the best cities of Rajasthan,
famous for its temples, festivals and forts.
 Amber
Fort
Jaisalmer
Fort
Jaisalmer
Jain Temples
Desert
Festival
Budget
Hotels
Decide your favourite colour and pick a city to
match, Rajasthan's kaleidoscope of colours covers all.
Bastions of history, bristling with memories,
these splendid treasures stand battling the vageries of time.
Fort
Amber
The
City Palace, Jaipur
Wind
Palace, Jaipur
Chittaurgarh
Fort
City
Palace, Udaipur
Jaisalmer
Fort
Mehrangarh
Fort
Nahargarh
Fort, Jaipur
The desert sands shimmer and pulsate with an
energy and a spirit of festivity permeates the air, every season
provides many reasons to celebrate.
Camel
Festival
Mewar
Festival
Elephant
Festival
Gangaur
Festival
Pushkar
Festival
Desert
Festival
Ride a camel over the dunes or horses through
the hillside, speed ahead in a jeep and camp under open skies.
A delicate ecosystem, part desert part marshy
lands and even a small section of lush water filled valleys, sports a
wildlife rich in variety.
Whichever Budget Hotel you choose you will
always experience a traditional hospitality that you may never want to
forget.
Jaipur
Budget Hotels
Jaisalmer
Budget Hotels
Bharatpur
Budget Hotels
Bikaner
Budget Hotels
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Rajasthan Tours Travel » Sacred
Places & Shrines » Jaisalmer Jain
Temples
Jaisalmer Jain Temples
Jaisalmer lies in the interiors of the Thar
desert, in a remote corner of Rajasthan. This desert jewel has a rich
historical legacy and an unchanged medieval aura. In ancient times
Jaisalmer was on the land route linking India to the Middle East, Africa
and parts of Europe. The Bhatti Rajputs of Jaisalmer were feudal chiefs
who lived off the taxes they imposed on rich caravans, laden with precious
silks and spices, which crossed their territory. These taxes earned great
wealth not only for Jaisalmer's rulers, but also for the city's merchants.
With this newfound prosperity and riches the merchants built not only
gorgeous havelis (mansions) but also some of the most exquisite Jain
temples. These temples are located within the fort and are a huge draw for
the tourist. Constructed in the style of the Dilwara temples, they are
dedicated to Rikhabdevji and Sambhavnathji. The Ashtapadhi Jain temple is
also worth visiting. Constructed in the12th century, they are pleasing
spiritual havens, exquisitely carved in yellow sandstone and redolent with
a soothing spiritual energy.
Lodurva
Lodurva
was the original capital of the Bhattis, before Jaisal built the Jaisalmer
fort in 1156. This town is much older than Jaisalmer and was sacked
several times, most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century when
he was en route to Somnath, and then by Mohammad Ghori in the next
century. The latter invasion persuaded Jaisal to abandon Lodurva, and he
shifted his capital to Jaisalmer, making Bhoj the last ruler of Lodurva.
Now mostly in ruins, Lodurva is visited mostly for its great Jain temples,
they contain the most exquisite jali work screens, grand ceilings and a
magnificent triumphal arch at the entrance. The original carriage for the
deity, made in 1675, has been preserved till now. The most interesting
object dart is Kalpataru, a mythical tree of wish fulfillment. A great
number of peacocks inhabit this area and hover around the temple walls,
lending spectacular colour to this dry and stony landscape. The river Kak
once flowed here and led to many a romance, the famous story of princess
Momal, and prince Mathendru of Amarkot is now part of legend and folk
songs. It is said that when the lovers perished, the river Kak stopped
flowing.
The Parshvanath Temple
The Parshvanath Temple is the main Jain temple here. It predates the
others and was even destroyed once in 1152, but was reconstructed in 1615
by Seth Tharu Shah with further additions. Its Torana Dwar or main archway
is probably the most ornate of its kind in Rajasthan and interestingly the
sentry outside is a Rajput, not a Jain. The ceilings of the Sabha Mandapa
support a demonic looking multi-hooded serpent canopy surrounded by five
bodies. As you walk around the mandapa the head seems to connect, in turn,
with each of these in turn. The walls of the sanctum are carved with
animal and human figures. The shikhara, is crowned by an amalak, and a
water pot containing a lotus flower
Kalpavriksha(Celestial Tree)
Within the walls of temple complex is the Kalpavriksha or the celestial
tree. When the actual tree that grew here decayed, it was substituted by a
true to life sculpture in an alloy of eight metals, making it an 'eternal
tree' symbolizing enlightenment. The copper leaves are believed to have
the power to fulfill the wishes of any one who has a pure heart . On the
temple's outer wall there is a low - relief carving on stone, according to
legend it is inhabited by a black cobra for more than for 400 years now.
Rumour has it that he shows himself only 10-15 times every summer and
anyone who catches a glimpse of him is blessed with good luck.
Rishabhnath Temple
This is another 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 a wealthy Marwari Seth Sachcha and constructed
in 1479. According to mythology Rishabhdevaji was a man who lived
20,00,000 years as a prince and no less than 63,00,000 years as a king.
Legend further states that he neglected his body for 1,000 years and then
deeply meditated for three and a half days, depriving himself of all food
and water. After which, according to Hermann Jacobi in Jaina Sutras, he
reached the infinite.
Shambhavanath Temple
The third important Jain temple in Lodurva it is dedicated to the Jain
tirthankara or fordmaker Shambhavnath whose symbol is the horse. The whole
temple complex is surmounted by an octagonal pyramidal roof, and a
fortification wall nearby suggests that the community was apprehensive
about defilement of their places of worship by aggressive Muslim and Hindu
groups. A temple in each corner of the complex is dedicated to a different
saint; Rishabhnath in the southwest, Parshvanath in the northeast,
Ajitanath (whose symbol is the elephant) in the southeast and of course
Shambhavnath (of the horse symbol) in the northwest. All these temples
date back from 1618.
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