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No. I.]
Jain Temples, Monks and Nuns in Poona City
this temple is rich and painted with gaudy colours and possesses some well-carved decorative pieces of architecture. It is now under the management of a trust. It provides bathing and other facilities and also keeps materials of worship like sandalwood etc
4
19
On the first floor of the building there is the idol of who is called as the संखेश्वर पार्श्वनाथ. There are six other idols close to it two on the right of and four on the left. All of them are made of white marble and the idol of is endowed with the characteristic hood of a snake over its head. The names of the other idols are सुविधिनाथ ( on both sides ) कल्याणपार्श्वनाथ, सुपार्श्वनाथ and 1. Devoted laymen-especially women-came in large numbers and recited hymns and drew the figures of the for an on the floor. All the idols were decorated with flowers and sandal paste.
In a somewhat underground portion of the temple, there are five idols. On being asked why this portion was bulit underground, the man in charge told me that there might have been some fear from the iconoclasts. The chief among these five idols is the idol of श्री चितामणि पार्श्वनाथ. This idol is older than that of संखेश्वर पार्श्वनाथ On the former I could notice fa. On the first floor of the temple there is the idol of गोडीजी पार्श्वनाथ - the oldest idol of all the three mentioned above. It is of black stone and is very small in size.
4 "On holidays and great days when the community meets for worship they put to auction the right of applynig saffron to the images and the highest bidder buys the right of first applying it, in this way large sum are raised"
-Ibid. p. 341
5. ......the first two temples were enclosed by a high strong wall and strong gateway which were kept always shut that the noise of the temples might not reach Brahmin ears. No spires were allowed as their sight would have polluted orthodox Brahmins" - Ihid p. 340.
6. I tried to find out the date which is generally written at the base of the idol. Eut I was disappointed to find that a thin sheet of silver covered the base of the idol.
