Dilwara Temples – Panch Svetambara Derasar (Part 2)

Pittalhar Temple, also called Adinatha Temple, is a temple dedicated to Rishabhanatha – the first tirthankara of Jain Dharma and founder of Ikshvaku Vansh. The temple was built by Bhima Shah, a minister in Gujarat Sultanate whose Sultan was Mahmud Begada. Established between 1316-1432 AD, this shrine features a huge metal statue caste out of five metals of the Rishabhanatha Swami – the principal deity of this temple. The temple got its name after ‘Pittal’ (Brass), the main metal used in this statue, about which there is a description in the scriptures dating back to 1432. This scripture is present in the Digambar shrine of the Dilwara Complex.

The Shrine consists of a main Garbhagriha, Gudh mandap and Navchowki with the idol of yakshi Chakreshvari and yaksha Gomukha on both sides, with a total of 107 images in the entire shrine. The structure of Rangmandap and the corridor looks incomplete indicating its unfinished construction. The old mutilated idol was replaced with a new one in 1468-1469 AD weighing 108 muns (around 4 metric tons). The image was cast by an artist ‘Deta’ which is 8 ft. high, 5.5 ft. broad and the figure is 41 inches in height.

Dedicated to Lord Parshvanatha, who was the 23rd Tirthankara, this shrine was built by Sangvi Mandlik of the Mandinka clan in 1458-59 AD. According to Ithihas, it is believed that the masons offered the remaining stones of Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi freely to add to the marble since the temple was built out of grey stone and so, this temple is popularly known as Khartar Vasahi Temple.

The tallest among all the shrines in the Dilwara complex, it consists of a three-story building, having many towers which show the architectural excellence of this temple. The four faces of the Garbhagriha on the ground floor have four big mandapas housing a Chaumukha idol of Parshvanatha. On reaching the first floor, there is a chaumukha idol which has 4 different iconographies. The front iconography is of Chintamani Parshvanatha, the second is of Magalakar Parshvanatha and the third one being Manoratha-Kalpadruma Parshvanatha, all of them depicted with a hood of nine cobras. The fourth iconography of Parshvanatha Swami is illegible.

There are images of 17 Tirthankaras, along with the depiction of 14 dreams of mothers of tirthankars which they had before their births. The second floor comprises of Chaumukha idol of Sumatinatha, Parshvanatha, Adinatha and Parshvanatha. Maa Ambika is also worshipped here. A chaumukha idol of Parshvanatha Swami is present on the third floor. The outer walls of the sanctum comprise ornate sculptures in grey sandstone, depicting Dikpals, Vidhyadevis, Yakshinis, Shalabhanjikas and other decorative sculptures comparable to the ones in Khajuraho and Konark.

When the principles of Jain Dharma are taught, they bring a light of hope to a pathless person. The principles of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity) and aparigraha (non-attachment) are the brainchild of Mahaveer Swami– the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. To worship him and understand the importance of his teachings, a small structure was constructed in the year 1582.

The upper walls of the porch have pictures painted by the artists of the Sirohi in the year 1764, along with extraordinary carvings on its walls. On each side of Mahavira Swami, there are 3 idols of tirthankar. There is a rectangular marble slab with a triangle stone over it containing 133 images of miniature-sized tirthankar with a larger image in center. Detailed carvings of flowers, pigeons, court-scene, dancing girls, horses, elephant, and other scenes of Jain Dharma are present in the complex of this shrine.