Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain, Others
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 113

Jaina Temple Architecture : North India
figures, besides a figure of Jina mother lying on cot.
Temple 31 - This south-facing temple is a small structure with sanctum and verandah. The pañcaśäkhã doorframe of the sanctum is very ornamental and bears figures of Ganga-Yamună on the lower section of the jambs and a figure of Neminātha on the laläta. Inside is a large image of Neminátha seated in meditative posture
Mānastambha - The Mānastambhas (Pl. 21), also called Kirttistambhas (pillar of glory), are the free- standing ornamental pillars installed on a pedestal in the front or the side of the temple. There are in all nineteen Mänastambhas at Deogadh. They range in height from about 5 ft. to 16 ft. Their basal part is square bearing figures of Jaina gods and goddesses on the four faces. The shaft is square, faceted, fluted or circular, often decorated with chain-and-bells that issue from the mouth of the kirttimukhas. They are rarely clasped by decorative bands. The four faces of the square shaft of some pillars are carved with a series of small Jina figures in horizontal row. At the top of the pillar is a four-faced block of stone which generally carries Jina figures on the three faces and a figure of Jaina Ācārya on the fourth. Three of these pillars bear inscriptions of A.D. 1051, 1059 and 1072 respectively. BANPUR
Banpur is situated twenty miles east of the district headquarters of Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. It has a four- faced (Sarvatobhadra) Jaina temple consisting of a square sanctum and four rectangular entrance porches (Fig. 57), one on each side. The garbhagrha is dvi-anga on plan consisting of bhadra and karna, the former having the doorway and the latter the solid wall. The temple stands on a low jagati.
The sanctum rises direct from a vedibandha which is made up of a jadyakumbha decorated with lotus leaves, khura, kumbha, kalasa, antarapata, kapota adorned with caitya-gavākşas, and a pattikā. The janghā on four karnas carries handsome figures of four-armed Dikpālas, two appearing on each karņa. Each Dikpāla stands on a projected console and is canopied overhead
by a ribbed awning and a tall udgama-pediment. The varandikă above the janghă shows a patřikā decorated with interlacing garlands, a kapota, chadyaki, a stripe of rafter ends adorned with floral design, and kapota. The triratha śikhara is of the anekāndaka class, covered with a lattice of caitya-gaväksas. The sikhara is divided into twelve stages of bhūmi-amalakas of which only four are intact, the rest including even the large amalaka at the top are arbitrarily restored during later times. On the lower part of the sikhara, on each of the four faces, is a triratha Sukanāsa crowned by a series of prominent caitya-gavākṣas. On the central facet of the sukanāsa is a sunken niche containing a figure of seated Jina flanked by attendant figures, while the side ones harbour seated or standing divine-figures.
Each of the four doorways of the sanctum consists of three ornamented jambs, the first showing a serpentine body with adoring nāga bust, the second adorned with scrolls, and the third treated as square pilaster. On the lower section of the jambs stand the river-goddesses, Gangã on proper right and Yamunā on proper left. The door-lintel depicts a large seated Jina on the lalāta, flanked on each side by an elephant and a Yakşi. Above the lintel is a sculptural panel showing a smaller seated Jina flanked by either the Navagrahas or Vidyadharacouples. The doorsill has an ornate mandäraka in the centre, an Udadhikumära on each side of it and a lion attacking an elephant on either end.
Inside the sanctum is enshrined an impressive multi-storeyed Sahasrakūta bearing 1008 figures of Jinas with Rşabhanātha as mulanāyaka.
Each porch consists of two pillars and two pilasters, supporting a flat roof rebuilt in later times. The pillars have a moulded base above the padma-pedestal of inverted cyma recta carved with lotus leaves; their octagonal shaft, with a ghatapallava below and above, is adorned on each cardinal facet with a long chainand-bell issuing from the mouth of a grāsa; and the capital consists of a square abacus surmounted by fourarmed curved brackets. The pilasters are similar to the
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