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cardinal directions. The sitting arrangement is like circular auditorium. Manastambha is a freestanding pillar in front of Jain temple, Samosaran and Tirthankar statue. On the top of Manastambha Jain Tirthankar idol is placed facing in cardinal directions. An important feature of the Jain temple for which it is well known throughout in the world is intricate carving. Dilwara temple is a well-known example of such type of carvings. The same type of features have been found in the Jain temples at Lachhuar, Kakan, and Rajgir belonging to Bihar region. Size of doors and windows in Jain temples is on human scale. It resembles the temples and other secular buildings of India.
There are total thirty-one religious structures were constructed during various time periods at pilgrimage site Sammed Shikhar. The site has one Jal Mandir, one Jain temple and twenty-nine "tunk". Tunk is a small structure with the footprint idols of the Tirthankar or the saint. It is an enclosure made of intricately carved marble, and its top consists of a Shikhara either dome or pyramidal in form.
The conclusion drawn from the study is that the Jain Architecture has been influenced by the Architecture of other contemporary religions in the plan form as well as elevational form through the course of time. Despite that, it has unique style of Architecture, which is concluded from following characteristic features of Jain Architecture:
a. Earliest Jain Architecture dates back to 200 BC when Udaygiri and Khandgiri were cut- when Budhhism was flourishing in India. The first rock cut cave was Barabar Hill at Jahanabad, Bihar in 300 BC, and it was Buddhist in nature. The comparison between these two contemporary religions is objectively shown below:
Table:- 8.1
Comparison between Budhhist and Jain Caves
Budhhist
Jain
Description
Plan form
Storey
Height of cave Art work
·
Square Rectangular Circular
Single
Human scale
Exterior carving
213
·
Square Rectangular
Single
Double
Reduced scale lower than human height
Interior & exterior carving
