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૫૫૮
અંચલગચ્છ દિગ્દર્શન
The sides of this porch are approached by smaller porches as at the entrance.
In the shrine is a pabbasan about 3 feet high. In the centre is a marble throne richly carved, in which is seated a large image of Santinath, crosslegged, with a goid crown over his head and having on each side seven images of a somewhat smaller size.
In the same way the second storey has a corridor of fine cells, in which larger idols of marble squat on the pabbasan.
The domes of the northern and southern side-porches, which are two storeyed are very richly carved, and have terraces. The upper storey is approached by stone-steps from the side of these double porches on the south and west.
The outer side of the dome of the mandap has a large spires, ten in each line radiate to the edge. They look like small pyramids and the four cardinal points of the radii have figures of lions and elephants alternatively sitting on their haunches.
Under the mandap floor there is a basement or underground storey, in which there are about 25 large white marble idols of tirthankaras, having precious stones set in the eyes, chests, arms, etc. presented by different Seths, whose names to-gether with the date of the gifts are sculptured in balbodh characters in the pedestals. This is a secret chamber and there are rooms still more secret, hidden by flagstones, and specially designed for times of danger.
The outside of the screen-wall of the mandap is chiefly formed by 20 pillars, richly carved with flowers, leaves, and creepers in the base, capitals and cornice; and the figures of men on the shafts serve as atlantes.
The shrine tapers to a spire and has offsets and mouldings in the sides, all finely carved and having figures in the niches and els The stones are ash-coloured and greyish red. The temple is surrounded by a strong wall with five turrets or Kothas.
There are four other temples on the four sides, built by other Sethias, one of them by Seth Trikamji Velji. જિનાલયનું નિર્માણ
૨૪૪૫. તેરામાં વિસરીઆ મોતા હીરજી ડોસા અને પાસવીર રાયમલે સં. ૧૯૧૫ માં શ્રી રાવલા
Shree Sudhammaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
