________________
258
A
CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
toranas.1 The gates were fastened with strong iron-bolts called aggala2 for safeguarding the palace. On one side of the pagāja ( prākāra ) near the entrance was situated the royal palaces and a passage of eight hands between the prākāra and the prā sada or the palace was left open for the chariots (rahamagga ) which was known as cariya.. The palace was decorated with turrets ( nijjūha ) and latticed windows (gavakkha );: its floors were sometimes studded with precious stones and jewels. Besides the palace of the king, there were palaces of the ministers known as amacca-pasaya."
Wooden palaces as well as palaces made of bricks and stones were quite common. A story narrates that king Seniya of Rāyagiha ordered his architects to make an ega-khambhupisaya (palace based on one pillar ) for him. A large tree having auspicious signs ( salakkhaņa ) was selected by the architect for the purpose of building the palace but a Vanamamtara residing on the tree requested him not to cut the same and himself made a beautiful ega-khaṁbha-bäsāya for the king which was decorated with gardens and surrounded with ditches and ramparts from all the sides. 8 Describing the glory of Rama's palace Vimala Sūri informs us that the whole palace was one-pillared ( egatt hanbha ) and seemed like the Kalpataru.9 Palaces made on one-pillar-base were specifically known as Khamdha.1' Mention has also been made of an ivory
1. Tratgartu atti–NG. 3, p. 344. For construction of the Toranas
see-Acharya, op. cit., p. 246. 2. UTGITT 3771_NC. 3, p. 344. 3. Ta rit refidat qrarat-Ibid. 4. ARTITE 27ET BIETETYT TEHTI --NC. 2, p. 433. 5. fuglena Fetaatfaat ma -NC. 3, p. 379. 6. gfa fa fohla 1-NC. 2, p. 154. 7. NC. 3, p. 81. 8. NC. 1, p. 9. 9. Paumacariya, 80.2-14; Chandra, K. R., A Critical Study of Pauma.
cariya ( unpublished thesis ), p. 539. 10. See-Motichandra, "Architectural Data in Jaina Canonical Lite
rature,'' JRAS. (Bombay Branch }, Vol. 26 pp. 168-82.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
