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The exquisitely carved Jain Temples, places of worship for the followers of Jainism, built in the 15th and 16th centuries by the town's wealthy traders are testimony to the incredible artistry of the marble carvers who created these masterpieces and are said to have been paid in gold according to the weight of the marble shavings they presented at the end of each day's work.
The less intricate carving of the exterior of the Temple we visited (dedicated to the 16th Tirthankara - Shantinah and the 23rd Tirthankara - Parshva) contrasting with the profuse decoration of its inside symbolises, according to what I have read, the Jain belief in the insignificance of outward forms and the importance of a rich inner life.
We walked into a hall of pillars which were connected by wavy -like arches leading to the main sanctum. The "Svetambara" figures with prominent painted eyes some of which had encrusted precious stones on them could also be seen on some of the columns, which were densely carved and none of which identical in its decorative motifs.
The ceilings were carved in concentric tiers to reinforce the Jain view of the Universe as a series of cosmic cycles.
(To be continued)
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