The other most amazing thing about Mount Abu is the Jain temples at Delawara, just down the road. These temples, built respectively in 1021 and 1230, are without question the most amazing pieces of artistic architecture I have ever seen. They don’t look like much from the outside, as seems common for Jain temples, but once inside… WOW.
I was literally getting achy eyes from looking at it. And this eyestrain had nothing to do with an overdose of colour or clutter, of which there was neither. The entire temples are completely made out of intricately carved white marble, and the craftsmanship is just beyond belief. Every square inch of these buildings, including every corridor, pillar, arch, and portico is covered in carving. The ceilings feature hundreds of engraved designs, falling down in 3-D like chandeliers, of lotus-buds, petals, flowers and scenes from Jain and Hindu mythology, with a breathtaking central dome. So sad that stone carving is no longer practiced in architecture! I wished I could just lie down on the cool marble floor and stare at the walls and ceiling forever.
Photography is forbidden inside the temples, which is a really good thing, because otherwise people would be stopping every 2 seconds to take one, there are just so many beautiful pieces in there. Really wish you all could have seen these with me.
Here are some small-format pics from the internet and a little video from the Youtube. I recommend taking a look through the Google images page for Dilawara Temples to see some larger photos:
Living to Learn, Learning to Live 