Ambika Mata Temple, Jagat

The Ambika Mata Temple stands in the village of Jagat, about 50 km from Udaipur. It honours Ambika, a form of Durga who rides a lion, and is believed to date from 961 AD, around the time the Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho was being built. Its Nagara-style spire and sculpture resemble the Khajuraho temples so closely that it is known as the Khajuraho of Mewar.

A rampart wall surrounds the complex, which is entered from the east through a two-storey pavilion with amorous couples on its outer walls and the eight mother goddesses on the gateway pillars. The ceiling has a central lotus and a scene of the churning of the ocean. Wall carvings show Mahishasuramardini, the Navadurga, Saraswati with her veena, a dancing Ganesha, Yama, Kubera, Vayu and Indra, as well as ordinary people at work. Stone screens on both sides of the hall let in light and air.