Famous Temples in India

Architecture

In all there are five Jain temples in Abdasa in Kutch but the main temple is simply breathtaking with its exquisite carving in marble. The temple rises to a height of two stories and has five domes with tall spires rising into the sky. There are arched and carved gates and pillars that showcase the workmanship of the artisans. There is a high fort with five cells around this temple with 12 feet high and 6 feet broad gate. Through a very rich two-storied entrance gate, an outer yard surrounded by buildings set apart for the use of priests opens into a walled quadrangle with a shrine in each wall. In the center of the quadrangle, on a 6 feet 9 inches plinth reached by fifteen steps, is the temple, 78 feet long 69 wide and 73​1⁄2 high, supported on three sides by rich two-storied domed porches. The domed hall, mandap rises in two stories and over the shrine is a spire with richly carved figure niches and moldings.

Inside, the hall, mandap, surrounded by aisles or verandahs, with a richly designed pavement of different colored marbles, has 22 pilasters, and 16 pillars, and a dome supported on 8 pillars with foiled arches and struts. Inside of a wall, chiefly formed of 20 pillars richly carved with flowers, leaves and creepers is the shrine where supported on either side by seven small figures, is a large image of Shantinath in padmasana posture with a golden crown sitting on a richly carved marble throne. The upper story of the hall, reached by stone steps from the south-west porches, has a corridor with rich shrines each containing a large marble sitting image. Moolnayak of this temple is a 90 cm high, white-colored idol of Bhagawan Shantinath in the Padmasana posture. Below the hall there is an underground shrine, with about twenty-five large white marble figures with precious stones let into the eyes, chests, and arms. Besides the underground shrine there is a bhonyra especially prepared against a time of trouble. This chief temple is compared to the Meruprabha temple. Mistris of Kutch are considered the main architects of these centuries-old beautiful Jain temples.