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 224

Sculpture and Iconography
207
bands, and appears even on the karnadardarika and the ornament is in an undeveloped form, as the the rectangular slabs enclosing the ceiling.
lotuses here are set up in semi-circles instead of The motif sees its brightest days in the Lúņa.
garland loops. Its complete form occurs for the
first time in the mukhamandapa ceilings of the vasahi at Abu. This is evident not only from its
Säntinātha temple at Kumbharia, frequent occurrences on the ceiling courses and
Later it is
noticed in the corridor ceilings of the Pārsvanatha the kaksāsana portion but also from the fact that it
temple and in the rangamandapa dome of the Nemiis carved with its minutest details. Another remar
nătha temple (Fig. 61), both located at Kumbharia. kable thing is that here the buds have now blosso
In the latter temple it also occurs on the walls of med. Further, the petals and buds are freed from
the devakulikās. their sides by sharp cuttings (Fig. 100).
The motif is also found in the
gādhamandapa dome of the Ajitanātha temple at Diamond and double Volute
Taranga and the corridor ceilings of the VimalaThis motif consists of diamonds alternating with vasahi at Abu. In all these temples the motif is pilasters. The diamond is plain or incised with occasionally seen. In the Lünavasahi at Abu it rosette. The pilaster shows an oval-shaped circle often occurs on the ceilings. Although its usual form filled at interval with five horizontal bands, the is continued here, it is sometimes projected from central being carved with diamonds and beads and the level surfaces, and the lotuses are represented the others being plain. Outside the circle, at the with stalks. Afterwards the ornament seems to four corners, are volute like foliage joined below have gone out of vogue, as it is not seen in the as well as above by a straight horizontal line touch- Jaina temple at Miani and the Mahāvira temple ing the circle.
at Kanthkot. The ornament occurs on the antarapatra of the Chain-and-bell dibandha as early as the temples at Roda and as This ornament consists of chain-and-bells alternalate as the Mahavira temple at Kanthkot. The ting with tassels and is underlined with a horizontal earliest Taina temple to bear this motif is the band adorned with leaves. It is an embellishment Mahavira temple at Kumbharia, but here it is of the pillar-shaft and occurs from about the midfound on the rājasenaka of the balustraded pitha of 11th to the mid-12th century A. D. It was an the mukhamandapa. As an ornament of the rājasenaka lar ornament of the temples of Northern Gujarat it essentially occurs without change in its design in only. Thus it appears on the pillars of all except the the śāntinātha (Fig. 39), the Pārsvanātha and the Sambhavanātha temple at Kumbharia and the Neminātha temples at Kumbharia, the Neminātha Vimalavasahi at Abu. In the earlier temples like the temple at Girnar, the Adinātha temple at Shatrun.
Mahāvira (Fig. 32), the Säntinātha (Fig. 38) and the jaya, and the Ajitanātha temple at Taranga, all Pārsvanatha (Fig. 51) temples at Kumbharia and built during the 11th-12th centuries A. D. In the the Vimalavasahi (its mukhamandaba) at Abu (Fire 13th century, however, it could not remain as an the ornament is tastefully carved in pleasing relief essential device of the rājasenaka, as it is not found while in the later temples such as the Nami in the Lūnavasahi at Abu; at the same time it is temple at Kumbharia (Figs. 60, 62) it is not only found depicted in the Vastupalavihāra at Girnar, shorter in breadth but also lacks in relief. In the
Vimalavasahi at Abu, which is the last temple to Ardhapadma
represent this motif, its scope becomes very limited, It consists of full-blown half lotus flowers set
as it is depicted only on the two pillars of the up in beaded garland loops having lotus buds
tangamandapa. as pendants. The ornament closely resembles the festoons. This is an ornament of the ceiling. Balcony Model It is already seen in the gūdhamandapa dome of the It consists of a vertical balustraded wall and Vimalayasahi at Abu and in a small ceiling between a slanting seat-back. It is found in rows in the the balanaka and the rangamandapa of the Mahāvira ceiling courses. Like the chain-and-bell motif. it temple at Kumbharia. But in both these temples also occurs on the Jaina temples of Northern