Page Text
________________
156
[ Holy Abis. be the shrine built by Kumārapāla. Originally an image of Mahāvira might have been worshipped as the mūlanāyaka, which, when mutilated by the fanatic idolbreakers, might have been replaced by an image of Shāntinātha during same later repairs.
The central image of Shāntinātha, is a big sculpture with attendant parikára, well carved, and beautiful in appearance. There is another stone statue of a Jina with no attendant parikara. In the Rangamandapa are two big stone sculptures of standing Jinas having, on each of them, 23 more miniature Jina figures carved on three sides of the standing Jinas, each sculpture is thus a Chovisi sculpture. One of them has an inscription dated in V. S. 1302." There are only 4 Jina images worshipped in this shrine.
In the garbhagsha in front of the mūlanāyaka is a finely wrought toraṇa with two pilasters on which are carved some miniature figures of Tirthankaras.
On two side-walls of the entrance-door to the sanctum are carved reliefs of shrāvakas carrying accessories for worship, such as the kalasha, garlands of flowers etc.
On the lintel of the entrance-door to the sanctum are also carved three figures of Jinas and in the walls of the Gūdhamaņdapa are also relief carvings of 4 standing Tirthařkaras and other gods and goddesses. ( ashva-thara ), human beings ( nara-thara, with scenes from life, fights etc.) are shown one above the other. In smaller temples all the mouldings are not shown and only one or two generally of animals are shown. In this shrine are obtained mouldings with rows of quadrupeds, elephants, lions, human beings etc., and thus seems to have been built by some King, probably by Kumāra pāla. (It must be remembered that there is no other known Jain shrine at Abu which can be recognised as the temple built by Kumārapāla-Translator).
1 Ābu, Vol. II. Inscription No. 492.
| SR No. | 023259 |
| Book Title | Holy Abu |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jayantvijay |
| Publisher | Yashovijay Jain Granthmala |
| Publication Year | 1954 |
| Total Pages | 380 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 14 MB |