Dilwara Temple, Jain temple complex in Mount Abu, India
Dilwara is a temple complex of five buildings in Mount Abu belonging to the Jain religion, known for its elaborate white marble stonework. Each structure shows openwork reliefs on ceilings and columns depicting deities, dancers, and geometric patterns.
A minister named Vimal Shah commissioned the first temple in 1031 during the rule of Bhimdev I of Gujarat. Later rulers and wealthy merchants expanded the complex with additional shrines over the following centuries.
The complex houses separate shrines for different spiritual teachers of the Jain tradition, with each sanctuary following its own rituals and forms of prayer. Visitors often see pilgrims walking barefoot through the halls, meditating or chanting in front of the statues.
The site sits at 1200 meters altitude and requires shoes that come off easily, since you enter the buildings barefoot. General visiting hours for tourists run from 12:00 to 18:00, while people of Jain faith have access from 06:00 onwards.
The stone blocks for construction were carried here by elephants from quarries near Ambaji along narrow mountain paths. Some ceiling rosettes are carved so thin that daylight shines through the marble.
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