Padmaprabhu Temple, Nadol

A north-facing Padmaprabha temple in the old Chahamana capital, its dated inscriptions among the oldest evidence for any site in this Rajasthan cluster.

Nadol was the capital of the Chahamanas of Marwar, and two inscriptions found here, dated 1024 and 1039, are among the earliest datable evidence anywhere in this corner of Rajasthan — most of the region’s temple dates rest on architectural style or tradition alone, which makes Nadol’s epigraphic record unusually solid ground.

Inside, standing figures of Neminatha and Shantinatha carry inscriptions of their own, dated 1215 of the Vikram era, and the three principal icons in the main shrine were installed in 1686 by Muhnot Jaymal of Jodhpur — layers of dated installation across six centuries, in a single temple, that a visitor can trace inscription by inscription rather than take on faith.

Written for Jain Times. Corrections are welcome — see sources and licences.