Pilgrimage Tours
Photo: Ranjith Kumar Inbasekaran · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
The Dilwara Temples are a group of five Shvetambara Jain temples at Delwara, about 2.5 km outside Mount Abu town, and they remain a living place of worship rather than only a monument. The oldest, Vimal Vasahi, was built around 1031 CE by Vimal Shah, a minister of the Chaulukya (Solanki) king Bhima I, and is dedicated to Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara; the second great temple, Luna Vasahi, was raised about 1230 CE by the brothers Vastupala and Tejpal and is dedicated to Neminatha, the twenty-second Tirthankara. Three smaller shrines - Pittalhar, Parshvanath and Mahavir Swami - were added later. What pilgrims and visitors come for is the marble: the ceilings, domes and pillars are carved in white marble so thin and deeply undercut that the lotus ceiling of Luna Vasahi is close to translucent, and tradition holds that the craftsmen were paid by the weight of the marble dust they chiselled away.
November to February is the most comfortable stretch, when Mount Abu is cool and dry and the drive up the ghat road is pleasant; light woollens are needed for elders in December and January. March and April suit those who want to be there for Mahavir Janma Kalyanak (Mahavir Jayanti), and Paryushan in the monsoon-end months draws Jain pilgrims in numbers. Avoid the July-September monsoon if mobility is a concern, and expect heavy holiday crowds in Mount Abu itself during Diwali and the May-June school break, which is a hill-station rush rather than a temple rush.
The nearest railhead is Abu Road, roughly 28 km away, with trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai; taxis and shared jeeps take about an hour up the ghat to Mount Abu, and the temples are a further 2.5 km from the town centre, easily covered by taxi or auto. The nearest airport is Udaipur (Maharana Pratap), about 185 km, while Ahmedabad, about 220 km, has far better national connections. By road, Mount Abu is reached off NH-27 via Abu Road; the final climb is a winding ghat section, so anyone prone to travel sickness should sit in front and travel in daylight.
Photography is not permitted inside the temples, and cameras and phones are usually deposited at the entrance. Leather items - belts, wallets, handbags, shoes - are not allowed inside the complex, so wear cloth or synthetic belts and carry a non-leather bag. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and be prepared to walk barefoot on marble, which is cold in winter mornings. Mornings are given over to Jain worship and general sightseeing visitors are admitted only in a fixed afternoon window; the window and any festival-day changes should be confirmed with the temple before you travel.
Planned around you, not a fixed departure. Holiday Vibez arranges pilgrimages to Dilwara Temples in Mount Abu for families, elders and temple groups travelling from Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Madurai. Tell us your dates and how many are coming — we build the route around that. 100% customisable.
- Stays near the shrine — so elders aren't driven back and forth at 4am.
- Private transfers — pick-up from your door, not a meeting point.
- Meals that suit the group — including pure-veg and fasting requirements.
- Group travel — 4 people or 40, one coordinator, one itinerary.
- Someone on the phone — when you're in a queue three states from home.
Temple boards run their own darshan queues and quotas. No travel agent can sell you a special one, and agencies that promise "VIP darshan" are either misleading you or breaking the trust's rules. We help you book the official slots and we get everything else right.
Most of the people we send on yatra are over 55, or booking for parents who are. We plan shorter driving days, stays within walking distance where the shrine allows it, and we'll tell you honestly if a site involves a long climb or a trek before you pay — not after.
Can non-Jains visit the Dilwara Temples?
Yes. Visitors of all faiths are admitted, but only during the general visiting window in the afternoon, as the earlier part of the day is reserved for Jain worship. Confirm the current window with the temple before you plan your day, as it changes on festival days.
Is there much walking or climbing for elderly visitors?
No climb and no long flight of steps - the complex is on level ground and the five temples are close together. The main difficulty for elders is walking barefoot on marble floors and covering a fair distance inside the halls, so allow a slow pace and carry a pair of thick socks if permitted on the day.
Why can't I take photographs inside?
The temple administration does not allow photography within the shrines, both to protect the fine marble carving and to keep the halls quiet for worship. Photography of the outer complex is also generally restricted, so plan to look rather than shoot, and buy a published guide if you want images of the ceilings.
Plan your Dilwara Temples yatra
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