Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 59

Rock-cut Jaina Architecture
long by 4 12 to 52 ft. wide) with two pillars in the front and a cell at the back.
The lower or south row of five caves runs westnorth-west. Each of these caves consists of a verandah with two pillars and two windows in the front and one or two square cells at the back. The second cell from the east end is larger in size and contains an octagonal pillar in the centre of the floor supporting the roof.
The third or east row of six caves runs almost in north-south direction. In the central part is a 50 ft. long open court with a verandah (39 ft. long by nearly 8 ft. wide) on the west. The verandah has a row of six square pillars, each with a strut of śārdūla supporting the projecting eaves. At each end wall of the verandah is also carved a śärdūla in low relief. The facade of the verandah is adorned with crude caitya-gavākṣas. In its back wall are three doors, the central one leading into a large apsidal room measuring 20 ft. wide and 26 ft. deep to the extremity of the apse at the back. It has a flat roof supported by four square pillars. It is probably this apsidal cave (Candraguphā) where Dharasena resided. This we know from Vīrasenācārya who wrote a Dhavalä сommentary on the Satkhandāgama in the 8th 9th century A.D. The other two doors in the back wall of the verandah lead into small rooms excavated on two sides of the apsidal chamber.
At the north end of the court, at a higher level, is another cave approached by a stair of five steps. It consists of a verandah (19 ft. 7 inches by 6 ft. 10 inches) with two square pillars and two windows in the front and two rooms (each about 9 34 ft. square) at the back. On the east side of the court are two cells, each with a small verandah supported by two square pillars in the front, and the commencement of the third one. In the court just in front of these caves was found a loose inscription of Jayadāmana's grandson, Rudrasimha I (A.D. 103-118), which makes mention of men who attained perfect knowledge (kevalajñāna) and were free from old age and death (jarāmaraņa).
These are purely Jaina technical terms and show the association of Jainas with these caves.
Outside the court to the south is a cave with a small sunk area in the front, verandah with two square pillars in the middle, and two cells (K) at the back. On the door (Fig. 18) of one cell are executed two circular pillarettes inserted into a vase and surmounted by a cogged abacus and lion capital; the lintel is decorated with floral patterns and carries two śārdūlas at the ends. The door (Fig. 17) of the other cell has full vase on both sides at the base and two horse-riders as bracket figures supporting the lintel above. On the lintel are carved eleven auspicious Jaina symbols of which svastika, sthāpanā, pair of fish, śrīvatsa, fullvase, nandyavarta, lotus, and mirror could be identified.
To the south of the last cave is another small cave with a bench round the small outer court and a cell inside. The door of the cell has an arch over it.
The rock in which these caves are executed slopes down considerably to the south so that the roofs of the south row are beneath the level of the floors of the upper row of caves. All of these caves are plain and without any architectural pretension. They seem to have been excavated just for the residence of Jaina recluses.
These caves appear to have been excavated in the 1st-2nd century A.D.
MADHYA PRADESH UDAYAGIRI
Udayagiri is the name of a hill on the other side of the river Betwa, lying nearly three miles north-west of the district town of Vidisha (M.P.). It has a group of twenty caves of which Cave 20 on the eastern end is Jaina (Pl. 6) excavated in sandstone. This is the largest cave at Udayagiri measuring 50 ft. by 16 ft. it has five niches with Jina figures seated in dhyānamudra, but they are very much mutilated now. One of these is a graceful figure of Tirthankara Pārsvanātha sitting on a lion-throne with wheel symbol carved in its centre. He has a cobra canopy and triple
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