page_title: Vastupala
section_title: Construction activities
hierarchical_section_title: Vastupala / Cultural activities / Construction activities
caption_attribution_description: English: Vastupala Vihara Jain temple on Girnar hill
context_page_description: Vastupāla was a prime minister of the Vāghelā king Vīradhavala and his successor Vīsaladeva, who ruled in present-day Gujarat region of India, in the early 13th century. Although he served in an administrative and military capacity, he was also a patron of art, literature and public works. He, together with his brother Tejapāla, assisted in the restoration of peace in the kingdom, and served in a number of campaigns against Lāṭa, Godraha, Kutch and the Delhi Sultanate. The brothers were instrumental in the construction of the Luniga-vasahi temple on Mount Abu and the Vastupala-vihara on Girnar.
context_section_description: Vastupala was a philanthropist and commissioned the construction of numerous monuments and public utilities such as temples, rest-houses, wells, hospitals and tanks. Contemporary sources, such as Sukrita-sankirtana, mention about fifty construction works. The number of his works increased considerably in later works of Rajashekhara Suri, Jinaharsha and Jinaprabha, although the number maybe exaggerated. Rajashekhara Suri mentioned that his charity extended from Shri Shaila in the south to Kedara in the north and Prabhasa in the west to Banaras in the east. Apart from building numerous Jain temples, he also built Brahmashalas, Mathas, Shiva temples as well as mosques.
  More than fifty temples were commissioned by Vastupala and Tejapala in addition to a large number of renovations and image installations. Vastupala commissioned the construction of Indra-mandapa and six other temples on Shatrunjaya hill, the Adinatha temple at Dholka, Ashtapada-prasada at Prabhas, Vastupala-vihara and Parshwanatha temple on Girnar. The Girnar temples were built in 1232 CE. His brother, Tejapala, commissioned the construction of Asharaja-vihara at Tejalapur, Patan and Junagadh in memory of his father. He also commissioned the Neminath Temple at Dholka, Adinath Temple at Prabhas, as well as temples at Tharad, Karnavati, Godhra, Shatrunjaya, Girnar, Pavagadh, Navsari among others. In memory of his mother Kumaradevi, he had temples built at Khambhat and Dabhoi. Vastupala built a temple dedicated to Mahavira, an Upashraya (rest-rooms for monks) and excavated a tank at Padaliptapura (modern day Palitana). He also built large tanks at Arakapalita and Suryapura, two statues at the temple dedicated to Mahavira at Modhera, and Shakunika-vihara at Bharuch.
  The Luniga-vasahi temple dedicated to Neminatha was built on Mount Abu by Tejapala in memory of his elder brother Luniga in 1231 CE.  There are about thirty inscriptions mentioning additions to the temples and his family members. The Prabandhas state that the Luniga-vasahi cost twelve crores and fifty-three lakhs while the Girnar temples cost eighteen crores and ninety-six lakhs, although these figures may be an exaggerated. Of the temples built by the brothers, only a few survive such as Vastupala-vihara at Girnar (1231 CE), Neminath Temple at Abu and the temple at Prabhas.
  Born into an aristocratic family, the brothers were quite wealthy and were patrons of many public works. The Prabandhas contain numerous stories of their wealth, some of which read like folktales while others are contemporaneous accounts. One account tells of the brothers seeking to bury part of their wealth, worth one lakh, near the village of Hadalaka (modern Hadala near Dhandhuka). However, upon excavation, they discovered a large treasure. Anupama, wife of Tejapala, counselled Vastupala to keep it on the peaks of the mountains so it may not fall in the hands of others, as it fell to theirs. The brothers had the Jain temples of Girnar and Mount Abu built and led pilgrimages there. Her advice proved sound and these are the only surviving public works built by the brothers.
caption: Vastupala-Vihara in 1876
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