DAY 3 (2/4): JAIN TEMPLES PART 1, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, 2018.11.26

Jainism is an ancient Indian religion dated to around 7th century BC. Jainism flourished in Rajasthan during the Rajput era from 7th to 12th century. During that time, Jain temples were often built along with palaces and forts. The Jains recognized the 24 Tirthankaras as the Great Teachers of Jainism. Jain temples were built in dedication to these Tirthankaras, and so as the ones in Jaisalmer. In Jaisalmer, seven Jain temples were built in the 12th and 15th century dedicated to seven of the Tirthankaras. Although not big in scale, these temples are famous for their exquisite sculptures and architectural ornaments crafted with the local yellow sandstone in Dilwara style. The Jain temples in Jaisalmer Fort should be in every visitor’s itinerary. Due to its restricted time opened for non-worshipers, we chose to visit the temples first and left the palace for the afternoon.

The first two temples we checked out were Rikhabdev and Chandraprabhu.

A series of simple signage led our way from Dussehra Chowk to the Jain temples.

The imposing shikhara (spires) of Chandraprabhu temple signified our arrival at the Jain temples.

Surrounded by beautifully sculpted pillars and altars, we began our visit from the courtyard of Rikhabdev.

Inside the main altar, a marble statue of Rishabha can be found. Rishabha is considered to be the first Tirthankara, and the primary deity of this temple.

A holy man appeared to pose for tourist photos.

Apart from the central altar, there are also smaller shrines dedicated to other Tirthankara. This one is Tirthankara Sumatinath, the fifth Tirthankara out of the 24.

Each shrine has a unique design, with a seated statue of the deity at the centre.

Space around the main shikhara (spires) was quite narrow.

We then went next door to the remarkable Chandraprabhu Temple. Dedicated to the eighth Tirthankar, Chandraprabhu Temple was built in 1509.

The magnificent dome ceiling of the main hall was definitely the focus for our eyes.

Narrow passageway led us to the smaller shrines at the sides and back of the Chandraprabhu Temple.

On the upper level, we could appreciate the main hall below.

Similar to the lower level, the upper level is also filled with small shrines.

From the upper level, we could have a better look at the fascinating details of the sculpted deities and ornaments on the dome ceiling.

We headed back out to the street after visiting the Chandraprabhu Temple. As non-worshipers, we couldn’t enter the second cluster of temples until 11:30am. We wandered around the lanes in the fort for a bit. We stopped by a local home to try out a vernacular Rajasthani art, the henna.