Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

SR No.: 022810
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 412
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 84

Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India J2. Ji8, J24 and J26 have makara toranas rested either on the pillars or the pilasters in fiont of the shrines (Plate 34).
Doorfittings
All the shrines have doorfittings, which are of two types. 1) round or squarish grooves cut in the ceiling and the floor, one on each side of the door. 2) round grooves cut in the projected portions, both on the floor and the ceiling. The open fronts of either the verandah or the hall also have grooves on the sides and cuttings on the kaksāsanas, which suggest that the caves were enclosed with the wooden screens.
ICONOGRAPHIC FEATURES
Iconographic Programme
The iconographic programme of all the caves, except Chhota Kailasa or J2 and J21 is uniform. Lach of the caves has figures of Sarvānubhūti-Ambika, large panels of the scene depicting kamatha's attack on Parsvanatha and Bahubali's penance and a large number of seated Jinas. Only the placement of these figures and the number of the Jina figures vary. In J J10, J11, J13, J14, J17, J23 and J26 the figures of Sarvānubhuti-Ambika flank the shrine doorways and the panels of Parsvanatha-Bahubali are respectively on the right and the left sidewalls of the hall. In J18, J19, J20, J24 and J25, Sarvānubhūti-Ambikā are in the ver.incah ends and in J12 these figures are on the sidewalls of the hall, near the entrance. in J22, the figures of Sarvānubhūti-Ambika flank the main icon and in J16, Ambikā is absent. While in J12 and J18, the panels of Parsvanatha-Bahubali flank the shrine doorway, in the other caves these are placed facing each other on the sidewalls of the hall. In J10 and J22 the panel of Parsvanatha is depicted thrice, while in J22, the Bahubali anel is absent. There is a figure of standing Jina on each side of the shrine doorway in J18 J19, J20 and J24. While in J18 these figures are carved on the two pillars in front of the shrine, in the other caves they are carved on the pilasters flanking the shrine doorways.
The sidewalls of the halls have figures of seated Jinas, carved in the niches. The hall of J17 does not have any Jina figures. In J6, J11, J13 and J23 the number of the Jina figures is two or three, in J12 and J14, it is two to four, carved in pairs. In J18, J19, J20, J24 and 126 the Jinas are carved in pairs between the pilasters. In J22, there are standing Jinas, instead of seated Jinas.
The shrines of each of these caves have a large figure of seated Jina, covering the height of the shrine. None of the shrines have a pradaksiņāpatha. Only J19 and J23 have a figure of scated Jina on each sidewall of the shrine.
J10 and J25 have a few Jina figures on the pillars and the pilasters, which seem to be intrusions. The facade of J13 was planned to have twenty-four seated Jinas, of which only seventeen are finished. Though J15 is unfinished, the shrine icon is completed. On one of the hall pillars of this cave is a figure of standing Jina, obviously an intrusion. Some of the caves have icons of other deities also. Thus, in J10 is a panel of standing Jina surrounded by the dikpalas. In J13, there are two standing figures of Sarasvati. In J18,