Lodhurva Jain temple is a

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

in the

Lodhruva Lodrawa (aka Lodurva, Lodarva or Laudrava) is a village in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, India. It is located 15 kilometers to the north-west of Jaisalmer. Lodrawa was the ancient capital of the Bhati dynasty until Rawal Jaisal founded the Jais ...

village of

Jaisalmer district Jaisalmer is the largest district in the Indian state of Rajasthan, and the third largest district in India. Located in Marwar (Jodhpur Division), the city of Jaisalmer is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is around from the ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

History

was established as the capital by

Rawal Rawal (also spelled Raval) or Raol originally is a regional variation of the Hindi princely ruler title Raja/Radjah (literally "king") used in some princely states in Rajputana and Western India (notably Gujarat), and is now also used as a caste ...

Deoraj, the

Bhati Bhati is a clan of Rajputs History The Bhatis reportedly originated in Mathura through a common ancestor named Bhati, who was a descendant of Pradyumn. According to the seventeenth-century Nainsi ri Khyat, the Bhatis after losing Mathura ...

clan, in 8th−9th century CE. The temple was constructed in the 9th century along with city of Lodhruva.

Rawal Jaisal Rawal Jaisal (–1168), was a Bhati Rajput ruler of Jaisalmer who lived during the 12th century and founded the city of Jaisalmer and Jaisalmer state. Sixth in descent from Rawal Deoraj Bhati, he was the eldest son of Rawal Dusaj of Deoraj (D ...

, a famous prince of the

clan, moved his capital from

Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...

in 1156 CE. The temple was also plundered by

Mahmud of Ghazni Yamīn-ud-Dawla Abul-Qāṣim Maḥmūd ibn Sebüktegīn ( fa, ; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi ( fa, ), was the founder of the Turkic Ghaznavid dynasty, ruling from 998 to 1030. At th ...

and

Muhammad of Ghor Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam ( fa, معز الدین محمد بن سام), also Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also Ghūri ( fa, معز الدین محمد غوری) (1144 – March 15, 1206), commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor, also Gh ...

. This led to temple being destroyed in 1152 CE. In 1615 CE, the temples undergone repairs and renovations. The temple remains the only standing structure in the ruined city of Lodhruva.

About temple

Kalpavriksha in Lodurva Jain Temple (cropped)

Lodhurva is one of the important Jain center. The temple is built with yellow limestone and sandstone; famous for the intricate craftsmanship. The temple features ornate

torana ''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...

(arched gateway), and stone carvings of

Kalpavriksha Kalpavriksha () is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Indian religions, like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Its earliest descriptions are mentioned in Sanskrit literature. It is also a popular theme in Jain cosmology and Buddhism. ...

and kalputra. Lodhurva Jain temple is considered one of the best example of

Jain architecture 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 gen ...

in Rajasthan. According to William Guy, the temple walls are folded similar to an

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

and features exquisite screen carvings of

jali A ''jali'' or jaali (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticework, latticed Window screen, screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. T ...

. The

mulnayak ''Mulavar'' () or ''Mula-murti'' is a Sanskrit-Tamil term referring to the main deity, or a murti ( cult image) in a Hindu temple. Location The central deity, ''mulavar'', is located near the centre of temples, than the images that surround them ...

(main deity) of the temple is a black marble idol of

Parshvanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...

with a canopy of thousand hoods over head. In Shvetambara tradition, idols tend to derive their name from a geographical region, the lodhurva Parshvanath is one of 108 prominent idols of Parshvanath idols. According to Jain belief, A snake comes out every evening from a hole in the temple to drink milk offering. As per popular belief, the sight of this snake is a blessing. There is a ritual for people to visit the shrine after marriage.

Fair

A fair is organised here in the month of

Pausha Pausha ( sa, पौष ; hi, पूस ; ta, தை ), also called Paush, Poush, Pausa or Pushya, is the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, corresponding with December/January of the Gregorian calendar. In the Indian national calendar, Pausha ...

, the event draws a huge number of devotees.

Gallery

File:Umbrella roof.JPG, Ceiling with carvings of devkulikas File:Lodurva jain temple torana.jpg, Ornate

File:Parsvanatha Lodhruva.jpg, Parshvanath idol File:Temple Complex at Lodurva.JPG, Sambhavanatha temple inside the temple complex File:Jain Temple in Lodurva (cropped).jpg, Unique facade designs of Lodurva temple

References

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External links

* {{Jainism Topics Jain temples in Rajasthan 9th-century Jain temples Jaisalmer district