Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 54

32
Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
device of barrel-vaulted roof with finials flanked by a lion on one end and by an elephant on the other.
The roof of the verandah is supported by two pilasters and two lately restored pillars. The columns have cut-out brackets adorned with lotus-and-honey- suckle, figures of dancers and musicians, and a female holding a tray of flowers and a lotus stalk.
The back wall of the cell retains some letters of the Brāhmi script of the 1" century B.C.
Cave 3 (Anantagumphā) - The cave is named after the figures of twin serpents (ananta) carved on the door-arches. It consists of a long cell (24/2 ft. by 7 ft.) with four doorways, a benched verandah (27 ft. by 7 ft.) with three pillars and two pilasters, and an open court (Fig. 12; PI. 4). The cell has a convex ceiling and is high enough for a man to stand erect. On the back wall of the cell is represented a nandipada on a stepped pedestal flanked on each side by triratna, śrīvatsa and svastika symbols, the first two being also placed on stepped pedestal. Subsequently, an unfinished Jina image was carved on the right side below the symbols.
The pilasters flanking the four doorways are very ornamental. They have ghata-base on stepped pedestal; their shaft depicts bead-and-reel, lozenge, spiral flutings with bead-and-reel or flowers in vertical rows between half lotus medallions below and above; and the capital consists of an inverted lotus, square abacus and animal figures like bull, lion etc. The four arches over the doorways are decorated with rosettes in garland loops, frieze with boys chasing animals, again a frieze of boys and animals, and a row of geese holding lotus stalk in their beaks respectively. The arches are crowned by a srivatsa or nandipada. The underside of the arches are relieved with rafter ends.
The semi-circular spaces inside the arches above the lintel are filled with four different representations- a royal elephant attended by two smaller ones, a turbaned personage with two female cauri-bearers in a chariot drawn by four spirited horses (probably Sun god with
his two wives), Gajalaksmī, and a sacred tree in square railing (Pl. 5) being worshipped by man and woman. in the spaces between the arches are hovering Vidyādharas coming out of pillared halls to shower flowers on the objects of worship in the arches. Above these is the representation of railing interrupted at places by battlements and lotuses.
The two pilasters of the verandah carry elephant figures on the inner brackets and cavaliers on the outer ones, but the front facets of their shaft are left uncarved. The inner brackets of three pillars have each two women with folded hands and their outer brackets show potbellied demonic gaņas.
The cave has an inscription saying that it was the cave of the monks of Dohada.
Cave 4 (Tentuligumphā) - The cave is named after a tamarind (tentuli) tree which once stood near it. It consists of a small cell with two doorways, and a benched verandah with a pillar and two unfinished pilasters. The pilasters flanking the doorways have ghatabase on stepped pedestal; their square shaft is ribbed in the middle; and the capital consists of an inverted lotus, square abacus and couchant elephant or lion. The arches over the doors are plain but pointed at the top. the inner bracket of the pillar shows a woman holding lotus buds in both hands and the outer one depicts a walking elephant.
Cave 5 (Khandagirigumphā) - It is from the cracks (khanda) that the cave is called Khandagirigumphā. From the cave a modern stairway descends to the main road. It has two plain cells one above the other, both sadly damaged.
Cave 6 (Dhyānagumphā) - This cave of meditation (dhyāna) originally consisted of a cell and a verandah with two pillars, but it has now turned into a spacious room with the deliberate removal of the partition wall and also due to the fall of two pillars. The sloping eaves above the architrave have four handlelike perforations.
Jain Education Intemational