{"id":42341,"date":"2015-04-05T10:21:40","date_gmt":"2015-04-05T04:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/?p=42341"},"modified":"2017-02-15T11:37:39","modified_gmt":"2017-02-15T06:07:39","slug":"viratnagar-buddhist-art-and-mughal-architecture-in-jaipur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/travel\/viratnagar-buddhist-art-and-mughal-architecture-in-jaipur","title":{"rendered":"Viratnagar: Buddhist Art and Mughal Architecture in Jaipur"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unexpected rain could not dampen our spirits. In fact, our driver did a good job despite the grey wrap of mist on the Jaipur-Alwar state highway. It took us three hours to reach Viratnagar from Jaipur<\/a>. The last 20-km drive was on a narrow road meandering through the fields. That reduced the driving speed. But the rain also created some cheers. Fields, plants and trees had a pristine look. The air was clean.
\nAs we approached the town, the hills balancing the boulders of weird shapes and supporting thin vegetation cover appeared on the horizon. Urban noise made way for rustic tranquility.<\/p>\n

\"Shri<\/a>
Shri Digambar Jain Nasiya (Parshvanath) Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the time the driver parked the car outside Shri Digambar Jain (Parshvanath) Nasiya Temple<\/strong>, our first stop of the day, rain had stopped. A few visitors were already there. The temple door was locked.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
An old stepwell within the temple compound<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We walked within the temple compound consisting of a marble pillar, a statue of Lord Parshvanath, a guesthouse, a number of old Mughal-style structures, and an old stepwell that was dry.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A relief panel on the exterior wall of the temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The temple dedicated to Lord Parshvanath, one of the Tirthankaras (saviours) of Jainism, is made of marble. You can easily identify the saviour by the snake-hood canopy over his head. The canopy is part of all his images, paintings, and sculptures because, according to legends, a black serpent crawled by the side of his mother when she was pregnant.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A statue of Shri Parshvanath within the Jain Nasiya temple compound<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mughal Gate, the next destination, was a few steps from the temple. However, we had to wait till the rain ran out of steam.<\/p>\n

\"Pandu<\/a>
Pandu Shila, a memorial near the stepwell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We strolled through the multistorey yellow gate standing amid lush fields. The sky changed its hue from flat grey to dramatic blue and grey.<\/p>\n

\"Mughal<\/a>
Mughal Gate located opposite Jain Nasiya<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A brigade of kids exuded curiosity at our arrival. Excited faces could also be seen among them.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A 3-faced figure on the ceiling of Mughal Gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This protected monument is considered a replica of Taj Mahal<\/a>. Old frescoes are still there. Raja Man Singh had built the gate for Emperor Akbar<\/a> in the 16th century. The emperor used to halt here during his hunting expeditions and tours to Ajmer.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A floral design on the ceiling of Mughal Gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We drove to our third destination of the day: Pandu Caves<\/strong> and museum at Bhim Ki Dungari<\/strong> (Pandu Hill). It was quiet on the weather front. We walked up to the main cave from the parking lot.
\nFrom the dungari, we got a bird\u2019s eye view of the Mughal Gate and the Jain Temple. A huge cave in the hill houses a statue of nandi and a shivling decorated with 12 faces of Shiva in black stone. Many other caves, which are believed to be used by the brothers of Bhim, are also located nearby. Some of these caves feature rock edicts. Out of these, some edicts are illegible. The readable edicts have already been transferred to the museums.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a>
12 faces of Shiva on the phallus sculpted within the cave temple at Pandu Hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Viratnagar (Bairath), the capital of ancient Matsyadesa, is a historically important place because of the following reasons:<\/p>\n