Debasish swain: adding basic location added tags.

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adding basic location added tags.

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{{Short description|15th-century temple in Gujarat, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Ambika Temple
| image = File:Junagah - Girnar, Gujarat - India (3419263960).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Ambika Temple in 2008
| country = India
| map_type = India Gujarat#India
| map_caption = Location in Gujarat
| coordinates = {{coord|21.52814|70.52723|format=dms|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| state = [[Gujarat]]
| elevation_m =
| deity = [[Ambika (Jainism)|Ambika]]
| festivals=
| architecture = 15th century
| inscriptions =
| year_completed =
| creator =
| website =
}}

'''Ambika Temple''', also known as '''Ambaji Temple,''' is a temple dedicated to Jain goddess [[Ambika (Jainism)|Ambika]] on [[Girnar]] hill in [[Junagadh]], [[Gujarat]], India. The earliest mention of the temple is recorded in the 8th century. The present temple was built in the 15th century.

== History ==
[[File:Ambika Mata temple on Mount Girnar.jpg|thumb|Ambika Temple in 1876|left]]
The early temple was built before 784 CE (probably in middle of the 8th century) because [[Digambara]] Acharya Jinasen's ''Harivamsapurana'' ([[Shaka era|Saka Samvat]] 705, 783 CE) mentions the temple.<ref name=":1" /> An inscription dated Vikram Samvat 1249 (1192 CE) mentions [[Vaghela dynasty|Vaghela]] minister [[Vastupala]]'s pilgrimage to Ambika temple on Raivataka (Girnar) hill. Narendraprabhsuri mentions that Vastupala had installed idols of himself and his brother Tejapala in the temple. Jinharshasuri mentions that Vastupala and his brother Tejapala visited as well as built the large ''[[mandapa]]'' of the temple and ''parikara'' of Ambika.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Tiwari |first=Maruti Nandan Prasad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0Tt04JDN0kC&dq=ambika+temple+girnar&pg=PA145 |title=Ambikā in Jaina Art and Literature |date=1989 |publisher=Bharatiya Jnanpith |pages=145 |language=}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> A [[Prashasti|''praśast''i]] eulogy given at the end in a golden lettered copy of ''[[Kalpa Sūtra|Kalpasutra]]'' dated Vikram Samvat 1524 (1468 CE) mentions that a Shreshthi (merchant) named Samal Sah restored and renovated the Ambika temple on Girnar.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sompura |first=Kantilal F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dXTqAAAAMAAJ&q=ambika+temple+girnar |title=The Structural Temples of Gujarat, Upto 1600 A.D. |date=1968 |publisher=Gujarat University |isbn=978-0-86186-245-0 |pages=215 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dhaky |first=M. A. |title=મહાતીર્થ ઉજ્જયંતગિરિ (ગિરનાર તીર્થ) |publisher=[[Anandji Kalyanji Trust|Sheth Anandji Kalyanji]] |year=1997 |isbn= |editor-last=Shah |editor-first=Jitendra B. |series= |location=Ahmedabad |pages=5, 42-43 |trans-title=Mahatirtha UjjayantGiri (Girnar Tirtha) |author-link=Madhusudan Dhaky}}</ref> As mentioned in Jain pilgrimage travelogues, the temple had [[Ambika (Jainism)|Ambika]] as a Jain [[Yakshini|''yakshika'']] deity. The Girnar [[Tirth Pat|''patta'']] from Samvat 1507 in [[Ranakpur Jain temple]] also depicts Ambika in the similar manner. The temple is built according to the Jain tradition and the ''mandapa'' ceiling match with the [[Girnar Jain temples]]. According to [[Madhusudan Dhaky|M. A. Dhaky]], the temple came under a control of the Brahminical tradition in the late medieval period. The original idol was lost during the subsequent attacks and currently a ''falahi'' is venerated in the temple.<ref name=":1" />

The present temple is built around the 15th century. So the temple construction, renovation and reconstruction history extends from the mid-8th century to the 15th century.<ref name=":0" />

== Architecture ==
{{expand section|date=October 2022}}
The present temple is built in the traditional Indian temple architecture of the late 15th century.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tiwari |first=Maruti Nandan Prasad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l0Tt04JDN0kC&dq=ambika+temple+girnar&pg=PA145 |title=Ambikā: In Jaina Art and Literature |date=1989 |publisher=Bharatiya Jnanpith |language=en}}</ref>

==Pilgrimage==
The temple is much resorted to by newly married couples. The bride and bridegroom have their clothes tied together, and attended by their male and female relations, adore the goddess and present coconuts and other offerings. This pilgrimage is supposed to procure for the couple along continuance of wedded bliss.<ref name="IA1911">{{cite web |last=Murray |first=John |date=1911 |title=A handbook for travellers in India, Burma, and Ceylon |url=https://archive.org/details/handbooktravelle00john |access-date=28 January 2016 |website=Internet Archive |pages=155–157}}</ref>

The temple is visited by Hindu as well as Jain pilgrims.<ref name=":1" />

==See also==
* [[Girnar ropeway]]
* [[Ambika (Jainism)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commonscat}}
{{Hindu temples in Gujarat}}
[[Category:Jain temples in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Hindu temples in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Shakti temples]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Junagadh district]]
[[Category:Māru-Gurjara architecture]]
[[Category:Junagadh]]

Ambika Temple, Girnar - Revision history

Debasish swain: adding basic location added tags.