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Photo: Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of PakistanField guides / Sindh / Gori Temple
Field guide · Heritage
The temple is situated 23 km north-west of Virawah and closely resembles the temples at Bodhesar.
The effects of fire and gun power used by Col. Tyrwhitt are still quite marked but still one of the best-preserved surviving temples. It is built of local stone with pillars and details of marble from Rajputana. It consists of three parts i.e., an outer stone Mandapa or pavilion with marble pillars and corbelled dome leading to an interior Mandapa of similar design by supplemented by small cells. The shrine itself which formerly had a shikara of typical Kathiwar style, but now adorned with rows of miniature shikaras. The temple according to an inscription was repaired in 1715 CE.
Why go
The temple was raised during the ascendancy of the Sodha Rajputs in the Parkar country, in a Gujarati style, on a high platform — roughly 125 by 60 feet, built of white marble, with three mandapas and fifty-two domes. The domed ceiling of the canopy carries paintings of Parshvanatha being welcomed by yakshas and yakshinis, along with images of the Tirthankaras Neminatha and Mahavira. The building was later damaged by fire and gunpowder during a colonial military action under Colonel Tyrwhitt, and an inscription records a repair in 1715.
The frescoes are the oldest Jain wall paintings surviving in the northern subcontinent. In 2016 the temple and its neighbours were placed on Pakistan's UNESCO World Heritage tentative list as the Nagarparkar Cultural Landscape.
The temple stands 23 km north-west of Virawah and closely resembles those at Bhodesar. The marks of fire and gunpowder used by Colonel Tyrwhitt are still plain on it, yet it remains one of the best-preserved temples surviving in the region. It is built of local stone with pillars and detailing in marble brought from Rajputana, and falls into three parts: an outer stone mandapa with marble pillars under a corbelled dome, an inner mandapa of similar design supplemented by small cells, and the shrine itself, which once carried a shikhara of the typical Kathiawar type and is now crowned instead with rows of miniature shikharas.
A white marble Jain temple under fifty-two domes in the Thar desert, holding paintings that exist nowhere else.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, November to February. After good monsoon rain the desert briefly turns green, which is the most striking time to see it.
Getting there, Nagarparkar lies at the far south-east of Sindh, roughly 450 km from Karachi via Mirpurkhas. The Bhodesar and Gori temples are within a short drive of the town.
Allow, A full day around Nagarparkar; the distance makes an overnight stay sensible.
