Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 205

Jaina Temple Architecture: North India
sixteen-sided in the middle and circular above, the last section being topped by a band of kirttimukhas; and their capital shows a double-coursed round bharani surmounted by atlantes brackets.
The devakulikās are landed up from the courtyard by a flight of three steps cut across the platform running all around and screened in the front by one row of octagonal pillars. Their walls towards the corridor are built of plain baked bricks, while on the outside moulded bricks have been used for the lines of horizontal mouldings. The pillars, roofs, doorframes and pedestal of images are all made of white marble. Except for two devakulikäs near the main entrance which have been shut off from the others by walls, all the devakulikās have no partition walls as we notice in those of the Neminatha temple at Kumbharia. On the doors of many devakulikäs were short inscriptions which range in date from A.D. 1599 to 1633. This clearly indicates that the temple was extensively repaired during this period.
The entrance porch is square on plan and is enclosed on the lateral sides by a balustraded wall of rājasenaka, vedikā, āsanapaṭṭa and kakṣāsana, all having been profusely carved. On the asanapaṭṭa stand two pillars and two pilasters that support the roof with an overhanging corrugated eave-cornice. The pillars (Fig. 96) consist of shaft and capital only. Below, the shaft is square bearing decorations of creepers and potand-foliage member, while above, it displays seven decorative bands of lotus petals, leaves, scrolls, sawteeth, diamonds and beads, kirttimukhas alternating with tassels, and stylised pot-and-foliage. The capital consists of round abacus and roll-brackets. In front of the entrance is a moonstone.
Probably, this temple was erected in the latter half of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th century A.D. MIANI
An old village on the sea-coast it lies about twenty five miles north-west of Porbander in the Junagadh district of Gujarat. Before the advent of the Muslims in this part of the country Miani appears to have been an active sea-port, and the export and import of goods
183
from this port must have been a great source of income to the people there. This is well demonstrated by many small and big temples standing there. One of these is a Jaina temple, now deserted and weather-worn.
Jaina Temple - It consists of a sanctum, antarāla, gudhamandapa, mukhamandapa and rangamandapa, the last one is gone but for a few pillars and architraves (Pl. 76). The temple is made of sandstone and faces north.
On plan the sanctum is caturanga consisting of bhadra, pratibhadra, pratiratha and karṇa, with projecting corners in between the last two. The frontal karna and pratiratha of the sanctum and the rear karna of the gūḍhamandapa have been transmuted into a wide buffer wall to form the antarala for separating the sanctum from the gudhamandapa.
In elevation the sanctum shows five usual divisions. The pitha consists of nine moulded courses of two bhittas (the lower carrying flamboyant ornament and the upper, half lotuses), a minor kumuda, plain pattikä, jäḍyakumbha, karnika, antarapaṭṭa decorated with stepped diamonds, a projecting pattika embellished with caityagavakṣa pattern, and gräsapaṭṭī. The vedībandha consists of seven mouldings of khura adorned with lotus scrolls or udgama pattern, kumbha bearing figures of fourarmed goddess or ornament of half diamonds, kalasa, antarapatta decorated with stepped diamonds, kapota adorned with udgama pattern, and a paṭṭikā ornamented with floral diamonds. The jangha, supported by a mañcikā, is divided into two belts by a plain median band and is tantalisingly plain except for emptied bhadra niches. Above, the jangha is followed by a square bharani with drooping foliage, and a varandika of kapota and ribbed cave-cornice. The sikhara, rising abruptly above the eaves, shows a tri-ratha central tower marked by six bhümi-amalakas and twenty four smaller sṛngas leaning upon it. At the base of the sikhara in each cardinal point is a shallow niche containing diamond instead of figure of some divinity. The narrow spaces between the smaller śrnigas are occupied by elephant trunks. The entire sikhara is enmeshed with minute