Jain Thirthankar whose marble idol is established in the Garbhagriha of Vimal Shahi temple is :

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:
The Vimal Vasahi Temple, often referred to as the Vimal Shahi Temple, is the oldest and most celebrated shrine among the famous Dilwara Jain Temples located in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. This temple was commissioned in 1031 AD by Vimal Shah, a minister of the Chaulukya king Bhimdev I. The temple is unequivocally dedicated to **Lord Adinath**, who is also known as Rishabhadeva, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. His idol, known as the *Moolnayak*, a large statue carved from white marble, is the one established in the central sanctum, or *Garbhagriha*, making him the principal deity of the entire structure. The temple stands as a supreme example of Jain *Maru-Gurjara* architectural brilliance.

The incorrect option is 1:
Neminath, the 22nd Jain Tirthankara, is the primary deity of a different, but equally important, temple within the Dilwara complex, which is known as the **Luna Vasahi Temple**. The Luna Vasahi Temple was built nearly two centuries after the Vimal Vasahi, in 1230 AD, by the two wealthy ministers Vastupal and Tejpal. Therefore, while Neminath is central to the Dilwara complex, his idol is not placed in the main shrine of the Vimal Shahi temple.

The incorrect option is 3:
Mahavir Swami is the 24th and last Tirthankara of the current era in Jain tradition. He is worshipped in a separate, smaller temple within the same complex called the **Mahavir Swami Temple**, which was built much later than the Vimal Vasahi temple in 1582 AD. Since the Vimal Shahi temple is dedicated to the very first Tirthankara, Adinath, Mahavir Swami is not the figure established in its central *Garbhagriha*.

The incorrect option is 4:
Shantinath is recognized as the 16th Jain Tirthankara and is a venerable figure. While his images, along with those of many other Tirthankaras, are housed in the smaller subsidiary shrines (*Devakulikas*) that line the courtyard surrounding the Vimal Vasahi's central structure, he is not the *Mulnayak* (main deity). The core devotional focus of the Vimal Shahi temple, as evidenced by its main marble idol in the inner sanctuary, is reserved for Lord Adinath.