Jaina Temples of Western India

SR No.: 006730
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Harihar Singh
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi
Publication Year: 1982
Total Pages: 362
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 27 MB

Page 126

Description of Temples
109
also surmounted by a similar band, is plain, but stambhašakhā, and bāhyaśākha adorned with lotus for the projecting sculptured niches on the bhadras. petals. At the base of the fakhas is a kāyotsarga Crowned by a ribbed awning and a two-course Jina flanked on the inner side by a female carrying short udgama, the niches are now empty. The side water pot and on the outer side by another female faces of the niches are embellished with such devices with hands held in adoration. The udumbara shows as criss-cross, lozenge, lotus, stepped diamond and a semi-circular projection carved with stemmed chequer pattern. The varandika consists of a narrow lotus in the centre, a projecting kirttimukha spewing pattika, a karnika, a padma, an usual kapota and a creepers on each side of it, and rosette-marked ribbed eave-cornice. Pierced into the khura on the diamonds on either extremity. The uttaranga west there is a makara-praņāla. Bhandarkar is of displays a Jina figure on the lalāta as well as on opinion that the walls are all modern. 12 But this is either end, and the space between them is filled untenable, for the mouldings and their decorative with a row of Mālādharas facing the lalatabimba, elements are all old pieces.
and a sculptural panel containing six figures of
Sarasvati, Cakreśvari, Vajränkusi, Vairotyä, Separated from the wall by a recessed fillet the Ambikā and Vajrassnkhalā, each having two arms fikhara (Fig. 23) reveals a tryanga malamañjart and sitting in lalitasana. In front of the door is a marked by five bhāmi-amalakas, an uromafjari on moonstone which consists of an ardhacandra tied each of the four facades, two frigas (one big and on both ends with gagāraka Sarik ha and lotus stem one small) over each karna and one briga over each and flanked in turn by two talarūpakas decorated on pratiratha. The angas of the mālamasjari terminate the front with diamonds. at the skandha, but the bhadra offset goes beyond this and is surmounted by a human face which is
Inside the sanctum is installed an image of quite a late feature. Above the skandha the mala
Mahävira as mīlanāyaka seated in dhyanamudra.
Carved in the round the image is not the original mañjari is crowned by a griva, a large amalaka, a
one but was installed in V. S. 1675 ( 1618 A. D.) candrika, a smaller amalaka, again a candrika, a
by Vijayadevasüri, apparently replacing the old kalaba and a bijapāraka. The dhvajapataka is modern,
one. But the moulded pedestal on which the image but the dhvajādhara depicted on the south facade
stands is old, as it bears an inscription of 1118 V.S. seems to be old. The uromafjaris and the freigas
(1061 A. D.), making the dedication to are but the replica of the mālamasjari, only that
Vira
(Mahāvira). In the centre of the pedestal is depicthe frigas are crowned by only one amalaka and a kalaša, the latter in most cases having disappeared.
ted an image of four-armed lalitäsa na goddess Between the Srrigas are seen gajamundas and kātas
Cakreśvari. The sanctum also contains two small inset with rosette-marked diamonds. The whole
images of Ambikä and Sarvänubhūti, both built of of the fikhara is covered with a fine lattice of caitya
black stone. These images seem to have been kept arch device. At the base of the fikhara, in each
there subsequently cardinal point, is a rathikä containing a Jina image Gūdhamandapa sitting in dhyānamudra. He is flanked on each side by a kāyotsarga Jina. These images are framed
Articulated at the frontal karna of the sanctum, between segmented circular pilasters and are the ghdhamandapa is also tryariga on plan and shares surmounted by a projected fillet and a two course its pina and mandovara with the sanctum. Like that udgama pediment. Owing to the lack of space the of the latter its karna is also broken into three northern rathika leans upon the uromalljari. The planes, but here the saliläntaras are conspicuous by rathikas on the east and the north are destroyed and their absence. It is roofed by a beautiful santvaranā their images gone now.
(Fig. 24) studed with seven rows of kafas followed
alternately by seven rows of fluted bells. At its top The doorframe of the sanctum (Fig. 25) is of is a large bell with a partly preserved kalaša, and the trisakha variety. It consists of patrafakhā deco- in the cardinal directions are comparatively smaller rated with foliate scrolls, three-faceted plain bells with rampant lions, all being sadly damaged.
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