The Gori Temple (a.k.a. Gori jo Mandar or Temple of Gori) is a
ÅšvetÄmbara
The ÅšvetÄmbara (; also spelled Shwetambara, Shvetambara, Svetambara or Swetambara) is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. ''ÅšvetÄmbara'' in Sanskrit means "white-clad", and refers to its ascetics' practi ...
Jain temple
A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings ge ...
in Nagarparkar. It's located 14 miles northwest of the Viravah Temple. It was built in 1375-1376 CE. The temple was exclusively allocated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankar
Lord Parshwanath.
This temple along with
Jain temples of Nagarparkar were inscribed on the tentative list for
UNESCO World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...
status in 2016 as the Nagarparkar Cultural Landscape.
Etymology
The name of this temple changed several times in the course of the centuries. It was built in 300 AD by Gorichom, a Jain worshiper.
Design
Gori Temple has an architectural design similar to ones in
Mount Abu
Mount Abu (), known as Arbudgiri in Jain tradition, is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in the Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Here, the mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. It is ref ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The temple measures 125 feet by 60 feet, and is built of marble. The entire temple is built on a high platform that is reached by a series of steps carved into stone.
The interiors of the temple features adorned with Jain religious imagery which is older than any other frescos in the Jain temples of North India. It is designed in curved pillars and the canopy entrance of temple is decorated with paintings representing Jain mythology. The frescoes at Gori jo Mandir (Gori temple). The temple has 24 tiny cells, which might have been used to facilitate the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism.
Gallery
File:Gori Temple (1).jpg, Gori temple from side view
File:Gori temple, ceiling.jpg, Ceiling
File:Remains of Worship Area in Goddi Temple.JPG, Remains
See also
*
Godiji
Godiji Parshwanath () is the name given to several images of the Tirthankara Parshvanantha in India, and to the temple where it is the main deity (mulanayaka). Parshwanath was the 23rd Tirthankara who attained nirvana in 777 BCE. All these ima ...
*
Nagarparkar Jain Temples
The Nagarparkar Jain Temples () are located in the region around Nagarparkar, in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. The site consists of a collection of abandoned ÅšvetÄmbara Jain temples, as well as a mosque heavily influenced by the archite ...
*
Parbrahm Ashram
Parbraham Ashram or ''Parbirham Ashram'' or ''Faqir Parbraham ashram'' or ''Parbraham Ashram Verijhap'' is an ashram located in Verhi Jhap village in Diplo in Tharparkar district in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. The ashram is famous for its an ...
References
Jain temples in Pakistan
Tharparkar District
Jain temples in Sindh
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