is it a shwethambara influence to consrtuct nagara style architrecture temples in palithana or is it digambaras
Short answer: It is not exclusively Śvetāmbara or Digambar, but Palitana’s temple complex is closely tied to Śvetāmbara patronage and its architecture mainly follows the Nagara-inspired Maru-Gurjara (Solanki) style. Digambar temples exist there as well, but the dominant influence in Palitana’s Shatrunjaya temples is Śvetāmbara. The main hill complex is revered by Śvetāmbara Jains, though Digambar sections are present too.
Key points:
- Śvetāmbara influence: The Palitana temple city on Shatrunjaya is traditionally associated with Śvetāmbara Murtipujak practice, and many temples on the hill belong to that lineage. You can see this reflected in the festival, darshan practices, and patronage patterns.
- Architecture: The temples are built in the Maru-Gurjara (Solanki) style, which is a Nagara-based, highly ornate Western Indian temple architecture used across Jain sites in Gujarat and Rajasthan. This style predates modern sectarian divisions and is common to both Śvetāmbara and Digambar temples in the region, though the largest, most famous clusters on Shatrunjaya are Śvetāmbara-associated.
If you want a concise summary in Jain perspective, you can read more on the Palitana temple and its Śvetāmbara affiliation and Nagara-inspired Maru-Gurjara style here