RAS question
The Vimal Vasahi Temple at Dilwara, Mount Abu, is dedicated to which Jain Tirthankara?
Correct answer: (C) Rishabhanath (Adinath).
The Vimal Vasahi Temple at Dilwara, Mount Abu, is dedicated to Rishabhanath, also known as Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara.
Explanation
The Department of Devasthan, Government of Rajasthan records Vimal Vasahi as the Delwada Jain temple built in 1031 by Shri Vimal Shah Seth. Vimal Shah was a Solanki minister, and the shrine is dedicated to the first Tirthankara, Rishabhanath or Adinath. A large statue of Bhagwan Adinath was installed at the temple, and Lord Rishabhdev is the main idol. Other Tirthankaras are present in separate shrines, which is why the names can look close, but the presiding dedication of Vimal Vasahi is to Rishabhanath (Adinath). Its white marble and fine stone carving explain why the temple is a standard Rajasthan art-and-culture marker.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Neminath is among the other idols and separate shrines at the Dilwara complex, and a Nemi Nath temple is separately linked to Tejpal in the 12th century; that is not Vimal Shah's 1031 Adinath shrine.
- (B) Parshvanath is one of the other Jain idols at the temple, but Lord Rishabhdev (Adinath) is the main idol of Vimal Vasahi.
- (D) Mahavira is among the idols present in the temple complex, but Mahavira is not the main deity of Vimal Vasahi.
Concept
Rajasthan's Jain temple architecture and patronage often centre on the Dilwara group at Mount Abu. RAS art-and-culture preparation commonly links each temple with its patron, deity and material.