Board Approval: 29th March 2013 \ Rs. 10 million

The Jain temples at Gori, Virahvah, Bodhesar, Sati Dhara, Gadro and Nagar Parkar mark the spread and prosperity of Jainism in Sindh.

Condition
These temples are in a deplorable state of disrepair, the main causes of which are natural disasters like
the earthquake of 2001, ruinous annual monsoons and persistent neglect.

Conservation
The Board also approved the preservation of memorial stones known as Sati and Hero (Nagarparkar). Preserving these temples will have an indelible impact on the history of Tharparkar. EFT invited public support and advice through an advertisement in the newspaper and on social media. Interest has been was expressed by Jain trust in India.

The Bodhesar Jain temple was built in the 13th century, as a result of a Jain migration from Parinagar, which was beset with political and environmental turmoil at the time. A legend persists that it was built by a Jain woman, Pooni, and the temple is often referred to by her name. The temple was built in the classical style with Kanjur stone, sandstone and limestone blocks, with lime mortar and mortise joints in each stone. It is built on two platforms; the upper platform is decorated with architectural designs and motifs.
Consolidation work on the two platforms has been completed. However, the 45’ tall Shikhara structure (the rising tower in a temple), which is completely adorned with carvings, is a complex, high-risk conservation task that requires consultation of structural engineers, architects and conservators for its stabilisation.

In Virawah Temple, storm water drainage was installed and a stone masonry enclosure wall was built around the structure. Over one hundred carved stone pieces were discovered during the conservation
process, which are now on display on four purpose-built platforms outside the temple. Pending conservation work includes the restoration of missing architectural features, some of which are being reworked in cultural stone, for example the friezes and lintels. The flooring is to be reinstalled, and the well made entirely from multicoloured granite is also to be conserved.

These beautifully engraved stones were plaques used to mark and commemorate the ashes of Rajput war heroes and their wives. While male plaques were decorated with images of horses and weapons, female plaques were adorned with carvings of jewellery. Conservation work on these 19 stones included the construction of stone masonry platforms, and the stitching of cracked or broken plaques with stainless steel clips.

Naria is a local term that refers to pitched roofs covered with half-round terra cotta tiles. The conservation work on the fourteen naria roofed shops in the Main Nagarparkar bazaar included
restoring the badly-damaged roofs, shutters and floors of each structure, and restoring the wooden friezes.