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Development & Impact of Jainism in India & Abroad
Naregal in Rona taluk of Dharwad district was built during the period of Krishna III, by Padmabbarasi, the queen of Ganga Permadi Bhutayya in 950 A.D. (Now it is referred to as Narayana temple), It is the biggest Rashtrakuta temple in Karnataka, It has a sikhara of dravida vimana type over the garbhagriha, Acutally it is a trikuta, The main garbhagriha of this temple was meant for a Jina, and is square, The other two garbhagriha are rectangular, and have rectangular pedestals from wall to wall with twenty-four holes indicating that both of them were meant for establishing twenty-four Tirthankara sculptures, This is also a unique feature of this basadi. This became common in the eleventh century A.D. The Settavva temple at Aihole is another storeyed basadi. It is more elaborate in execution. It is also a trikuta. Besides it has three ardhamandapas and a common navaranga. The Neminatha basadi at Malkhed, the capital of the Rashtrakutas belongs to ninth century A. D. Unfortunately the original structure has been repaired often and henc.e it is difficult to know its original features. The garbhagriha has a fine seated Neminatha sculpture. Other sculptures found here are those of Parsvanatha, Dharanendra and Padmavati. Some more Jina sculptures are in the Sabhamandapa; but they seem to belong to later periods.
The basadi at Bankur in Gulburga district seems to belong to the end of the Rashrakuta period. There are many fine sculptures in this temple. Notable among them are Adinatha, Chandraprabha, Santinatha, Parsvanatha, Mahavira, Padmavati, high relief sculptures of twentyfour tirthankaras. In addition to the above Jaina temples of the Rashtrakuta period many more are also found which are not properly documented. Outside the present Karnataka State, the Rastrakuta basadis are found at Ellora where there are three Jaina cave temples referred as Chota Kailas, Indrasabha (cave-32)and
Jagannathasabha(cave-33). Cave 30 is an unfinished excavation resembling the Great Kailasa; hence it is known as Chhota Kailasa (Small Kailasa).(PL-NO16,17,18,191,20) The technique of rock excavation and converting it intostructures can be well understood from the unfinished excavation.
CAVE 32 (INDRA SABHA)
The Cave 32 known as Indra Sabha is actually a series of shrines dedicated to Mahavira and other Jaina divinities aesthetically arranged in double storey. The main entrance of Cave 32 is on the south, the gate in the form of a Dravidian gopura. The entrance leads into a small court at the center of which is a monolithic shrine on a high pedestal. A huge manastambha is to its right and a colossal monolithic elephant to its left. The manastambha measures 28 feet in height and is crowned by four seated images facing the cardinal directions.(PL-NO-15A) The monolithic elephant reminds one of the elephants sculpted in the court of Kailasa, but, here it is more elegant and well preserved. The monolithic shrine at the center is reached by a flight of steps on the south and north, and with provisions of entrance on east and west but without steps. At the center of the shrine is the Sarvatobhadra, bhadra projections on four sides and a concept in Jainism of worshipping the four important tirthankaras, viz. Adinatha or Rshibhanatha (1st),svanatha (22nd), Neminatha (23rd) and Mahavira (24th). Theimages of these tirthankaras
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