RAS question
Sirohi's Mirpur Jain Temple is famous for:
Correct answer: (A) Ancient Jain sculptures.
Sirohi's Mirpur Jain Temple is famous for its ancient Jain sculptures and medieval temple architecture.
Explanation
Mirpur Jain Temple in Sirohi is noted for ancient Jain sculptural and architectural work from the medieval period. Rajasthan Foundation's district profile describes Mirpur Temple as a Rajput-age, 9th-century temple dedicated to Lord Parshavnath, the 23rd Tirthankar of the Jains. The temple's carving can be compared with the pillars and parikrama of the Delwara and Ranakpur temples, and the surviving main temple and kalamandap stand on a high pedestal with carved pillars and an engraved parikrama. These details support option A: the temple is remembered for sculptural and architectural craftsmanship, not for paintings, a gold dome, or a stepwell.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Rajasthan Foundation's profile highlights Mirpur Temple's carving, pillars, parikrama and Jain dedication, but does not present paintings as its distinguishing feature.
- (C) A gold dome is not part of the Rajasthan Foundation description of Mirpur Temple.
- (D) Mirpur is described as a Jain temple with carved pillars and an engraved parikrama, not as a stepwell or a water-architecture site.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's Jain temple heritage within art and architecture, especially the identification of important religious monuments by their distinctive features. Such questions recur in RAS because district-wise cultural sites are a standard part of Rajasthan History, Art and Culture.