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 128

Description of Temples
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surmounted by kicaka brackets. The remaining six ond-and-double volute pattern, a vedika and an pilasters are unfaceted. Their base and capital asanapatta. The vedika is divided into upright posts are similar to the faceted pilasters, but in one place alternating with depressed vertical slabs. Below. the bracket bears a figure of naked women rather the upright posts are plain; above, they are decorthan that of kicaka. Their shaft has three sections, ated with kirttimukha, lunate containing lotus or namely square at the base, octagonal in the middle twine pattern, ghatapallava and volute device. The and circular on the top. The architraves are duichadya asanapatta surmounted by a rooflet prouncarved. The domical ceiling is of the sabhämärga jects boldly over each post, and it recedes with a class and emerges from each pilaster from a square kirttimukha over each slab. Each balustrade also bracket sculptured with a figure of Jina, Acarya, displays two projecting niches on the vedika portion. Gandharva or the like. It is composed of seven Each niche is crowned on the asanapatta proper by circular courses. The first is karnadardarikā deco- an udgama, and below, on the rajasenaka portion, it rated with lotus petals and surmounted by a band carries another smaller udgama flanked by two elepof diamonds and beads. The second is adorned hants with upraised trunk, or a Gandharva flanwith a band of kirttimukhas; it also carries eight king it on the one side and a parrot on the other. projecting brackets of Vidyadharas bearing gar- The niches contain images of four-armed lalitasana lands. The third is padma incised with lotus petals goddesses, of whom Ambika and Sarasvati could and surmounted by a band of diamonds and beads. be identified. The fourth and the fifth are gajatalus, each surmounted by a band of diamonds and beads and a In all there are eight pillars, viz. two in the band of lotus petals. The sixth is an eight-foil fore part of the central projecting bay, four in a kola. The seventh is a quatrefoil kola scooped row running east-West, and one each in the southout with a circular kola. The eight-foil kola carries east and southwest corners. Besides, there are two remains of eight mortices which originally pro- ornamented pilasters flanking the gadhamandapa bably contained tenons of bracket figures emerging door. The two pillars in the central projecting from the Vidyadhara brackets. The four corners bay are of the square order, with corners chamleft at the base of the dome are uncarved.
fered into three angles. Their base consists of a
khura bearing udgama pattern on the four faces, There are two large saparikara images of kayots- a kumbha carrying images of lalitasana goddesses on arga Jinas placed against the south wall. The the body and the carving of foliage on the shoulder, image on proper right is of Säntinātha, and that a kalasa incised with rosettes, an antarapatra, on proper left is of Ajitanatha, both bearing an and a kapota carved with caitya-arch device. The inscription of 1118 V. S. (1061 A. D.).
shaft has four sections, viz. square, octagonal,
sixteen-sided and circular, the first being the lonMukhamaņdapa
gest and the third the shortest. The square section It consists of four bays, three extending east- carries framed figures of four-armed standing west across the axial line and one, also across the Vidyādevis on the four faces and is surmounted by axial line, projecting into the rarigamandapa. It is a ghatapallava motif. The octagonal section depilanded up from the rarigamandapa by a flight of five cts eight figures of four-armed latitasana goddesses. steps cut across the pitha of the central projecting The sixteen-sided section bears sixteen figures of bay. Below the stairway is a moonstone of the same two-armed lalitasana goddesses. The circular type as we find in front of the northern door of section is divided into two halves, the lower showthe gūdhamandapa. Its moulded pitha consists of ing four lambanas and chain-and-bells alternated two bhittas, a jad yakumbha, a karnika, an antarapatra, by indented leaves, and the upper a band of Ganda chadyaki decorated with caitya-arch ornament, harvas and a band of kirttimukhas emitting chains and a grāsapari. The pitha of the central project- that are secured below by a band of diamonds and ing bay is treated like a balustrade, which consists beads. The capital displays a double-course round of a plain bhita, a rājasenata decorated with diam- bharani of karrika and padma, crowned by five-armed
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