Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 189

Jaina Temple Architecture : North India
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on those of the rangamandapa. The kaksāsana is also built along the southern side of its interior. The nālamandapa is divided into seven bays by eight pillars and four pilasters and is shaded by an overhanging eave-cornice. The pillars, pilasters and architraves closely conform to those seen in the mukhamandapa and devakulikäs. Of the seven ceilings four are flat and uncarved and the other three are domical with very little carving. Between the dwarf pillars at extreme north bay of the nalamandapa is a fine wavy torana-arch
The main temple, according to the Prabandhas, was constructed about A.D. 1134 and its consecration was performed by Devasuri in S. 1193 (A.D. 1136), while most of the devakulikās, as known from the inscriptions, were added somewhat later.
Sambhavanātha Temple - It lies farthest west of the Mahāvīra temple. It consists of a sanctum, a gūdhamandapa with lateral entrance porches and a rangamandapa, the whole perched on a jagati supporting a boundary wall having projections against the lateral porches of the gūdhamandapa (Fig. 87; Pl. 68). The temple is entered only from the north through a porch approachable from the ground by a flight of ten steps.
The sanctum is tri-ariga on plan, the central offset broken into five and the others into three planes each. Between the offsets are set up salilāntaras. The frontal karma and pratiratha are transmuted into a buffer wall which separates the sanctum from the gūdhamandapa.
In elevation the sanctum shows pītha, vedibandha, janghā, varandikā and sikhara. The pitha consists of four courses of bhitta, jādyakumbha, karņikā and pattikă and is plain. The vedibandha comprising five usual mouldings of khura, kumbha, kalaša, antarapatta and kapota is also plain but for the kumbha which carries images of Jaina goddesses or decoration of half diamonds. The janghä, supported by a mañcikä, is divided into two registers by a plain medial band and is plain too, but each cardinal offset shows a projecting sculptured niche (now empty) surmounted by a two- coursed pediment of caitya-gaväksa pattern. The
varandikā consists of a deep fillet, mañcikā, kapota and a ribbed awning. There is a makara-praņāla pierced into khura on the east.
The pañcaratha anekāndaka sikhara of forty-one śļgas is marked on its central tower by seven bhumiāmalakas. The different offsets of the sikhara terminate at the skandha but the central offsets extend to the grīvā crowned above by a large amalaka clasped by diamondand-bead band, a candrikā, a smaller āmalaka, kalasa and bijapuraka. The spaces between the turrets are occupied by elephant trunks. At the base of the Sikhara in the cardinal points are framed figures of Vajrāňkusi (E), Cakreśvari (S) and Sarasvati (W). The whole of the sikhara is adorned with minute caitya-gavākşas. The front facade of the Sikhara carries a blind balconied window lodged over the buffer wall. The window has a pyramidal roof with lion springing from the sikhara. The doorframe of the sanctum consists of two jambs, the inner decorated with scrolls and the outer treated as pilaster. The sill shows a semi-circular projection carved with lotus stem in the centre, a kirttimukha on each side of it, and a sculptured niche sheltering Sarvänubhūti on extreme right and Ambikā on extreme left. The door-lintel continues the decorative bands of the jambs but is interrupted in the centre by the tutelary image of Jina. In front of the door is a moonstone also. Inside the sanctum is installed an image of Sambhavanātha seated in meditative posture on a moulded pedestal showing a figure of Lakşmi in the middle on the front. The enshrined image appears to be a late one but the pedestal is old. The buffer wall in the interior contains two sunk niches on two sides. The one on east is empty but that on the west shelters a human couple standing with folded hands against a fine parikara. Probably they were the donors of the temple.
The gūdhamandapa is dvi-anga on plan consisting thus of bhadra and karna offsets, each broken into three planes. It shares its pitha and wall with the sanctum but the portion above that is now plastered up with lime.
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