Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 62

Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
Cave 7 has a verandah and a hall, the latter having worked out (Pl. 7). Here the prastara-hāra of the lower eleven entrance doors with figures of animals etc. on storey is made up of kapota, a rectangular fillet underlined their lintel.
with joist-ends, recess, projecting band, recess and kapota All these caves at Dharashiv seem to have been with triangular blocks, and is left plain; so also is the excavated in the 7th century A.D.
central pañjara-kostha (instead of bhadrasala) except ELLORA
that it is topped by a bold kirttimukha spewing festoons. It is situated about twelve miles east of the district The second storey is somewhat ornate. The prastaratown of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It has the largest wall of its karņa offset shows a well-shaped pitcher at and most varied group of cave temples belonging to the corner and seated Vidyādhara couples in niches on the Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina sects. The caves are the sides, the kapota of the prastara is decorated with excavated in the scarp of a large plateau running north- nāsi-gavākşas (caitya-window), the mouldings above south for over a mile. It were the Buddhists who first the kapota are plain, and the kūtas of the hāra are arrived here and excavated twelve caves in the southern ornamented with nāsi-gavākşas. The bhadra offset end. The Hindus followed next and excavated seventeen displays a large pañjara-kosta borne by Vidyadharas caves in the middle part of the hill. The Jainas were appearing at the lower ends. The facade of the kostha the last occupants at Ellora; they excavated five caves is bordered by pearl festoons and is flanked by uprising (Nos. 30-34) in the northern end of the hill during the creepers. Inside the kostha is a series of struts. The wall Răstrakūta period. In the Jaina tradition the northern of the third storey shows vyāla figures at the corners spur of Jaina caves is called Cāraṇādri, i.e. the hills and Yakașais and divine couples on the sides, while of sages. To the east of the main Jaina group is an its hāra has karnaküțas with nāsi-kosthas. On the front unfinished monolithic Jaina shrine called Chotā Kailāśa, side of the superstructure is a sukanāsa with large nāsiand to the north-west is a rectangular hall shrine, also kostha flanked by Nidhi figures and bordered by pearl incomplete.
festoons. Inside the kostha is a framed figure of Jina Chotā Kailāśa (Cave 30) - It is an imitation of seated in meditative posture on a lion-throne. the Great Kailāšanātha Temple (Cave 16) at Ellora, but the interior of the vimāna-garbhagrha the floor on a much smaller scale. The whole temple has been of which is higher than that of the güdhamandapa is wrought on a mass of rock left in a pit (130 ft. by approached from the latter by a flight of four steps. 80 ft.) hewn out of the rock. This west-facing temple The stairway is stepped up by a moonstone and is consists of a tritala vamāna (three-storeyed sanctum), flanked on each side by a crouchant elephant. Its antarala, and gūdhamandapa with entrance porches on pañcaśākhā (five jambs) doorway consists of ratna the front and lateral sides. It is entered from the west (diamond), Gandharava (heavenly musicians), stambha through an unfinished small pratoli (gateway) attached (pillar), valli (creepers) and depressed outer khalvawith an enclosing wall having battlements.
sakha. The door-lintel shows a string of kūtas. Inside The basement and wall of the dvi-anga vimāna the sanctum is a fine rock-cut image of Jina sitting in (for lineaments of south Indian temples see Chapter VI) meditation on a lion-throne and accompanied by male comprising bhadra and karna are not worked out, the cauri-bearers. On the north wall is carved an eightupper storeys with their appliqued hāra are short, and armed seated figure of Cakreśvari, suggesting that the the grīvā (neck) and sikhara (spire) are missing. The temple was dedicated to Adinātha. southern portion of the superstructure, however, is The antarāla shows two ornate pilasters and a
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