MOUNT ABU
The Fount of Indian Culture

According to the legend, the builder Vimal Shah constructed 360 temples and dedicated them all to the 23rd Thirthankar by name Parasvanath at Kumbharia, about 3 kms off Ambaji, a shrine as popular as Tirupati Balaji temple for Gujaratis. And Ambica was his house-hold deity and the Guardian Goddess of- Gujaratis. At a particular ceremonial ritual, Ambica was displeased and ordered him to fly for life. Apprehending formidable consequence,, he plunged into the crypt of Ambaji temple and emerged unscathed at Abu running all along the subterranean passage. Ambica's anger was appeased only when he destroyed all but 5 of 360 temples. baler, when Her anger was. subsided, she advised him in dream to build a temple at Dilwara and dedicate it to the first Tirthankar, Sri Adinath. Though dc-lighted, lie had to please an impudent Paratnara ruler in whose domain Abu lay then. In addition, the king was a sectarian, avers, to Jainism. Knowing the greed-the Achilles heel of the king, a pretentious theist, he offered to cover the ground lie needed for building the temple with silver coins. It was a temptation too powerful and irresistible for the lewd king to withstand. The offer got royal sanction, and soon thousands of persons-technical and non-technical immersed an the divine task of construction, consuming billions and millions of rupees for getting the present shape a master piece in stone making even Viswakarma, the celestial architect gape and gaze and leave the precincts with heavy heart, muttering, "I could have designed the heavenly mansions better, if I had seen this group before I started".

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