Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 64

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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
There is a small cave, opposite the southern entrance porch, in the south wall of the courtyard. It shows two dwarf pillars in the front, carrying kapota form of eave and a long sālā-śikhara borne by Vidyadharas. The pillars are plain and square below; then they turn octagonal bearing a stripe of garland loops and a band of diamonds and beads; and lastly comes a circular kalasa or lasuna with vertical flutes. Their capital, circular in section, consists of double padma with carvings of petals, bulbous kumbha with diamond-and-bead band, padma, phalaka (square abacus) and flattened curved brackets. Inside are two similar pillars with two-fold crude toraņa-arch. In the flat ceiling is relieved a large lotus flower with two rows of petals and a central bud.
Since this cave-temple is an imitation of the Great Kailāśa Temple (A.D. 756-773) at Ellora, it may have been executed a generation later after the Kailāśa, probably in the early 9th century A.D. This date is applicable to the main temple only, the southern cave seems to have been excavated a little later.
Cave 30 A - Near the Chotā Kailasa, to the north- west, is an unfinished rectangular excavation consisting of garbhagyha, mandapa enclosed on the front by a parapet wall, and an entrance porch, also enclosed by a parapet wall (Pl. 8). The porch, so also the mandapa, stands on a very low plinth of plain upāna and jagati mouldings. The parapet wall consists of vedikā, asanapatta and kaksasana, all elaborately carved. The vedikā shows elongated stupa motifs between pilasters. From the vedika and plinth project out eight elephants bearing the eave of the asanapatta on their back. The asanapatta resembles a plain kapota underlined with a band of half lotus flowers. The kaksāsana of the porch shows purņaghaļas between pairs of segmented pilasters and is topped by a band of scrolls; the same in the mandapa is constricted like a coping depicting four- petalled flowers in sunk niches of stepped diamonds. The parapet wall of the porch support four dwarf pillars
carrying a large curved eave-cornice on architraves spanned across them and an unfinished prastara-hara with varied sculptures and aedicules. The eave-cornice carries flying figures of Gandharvas and Vidyadharas and decoration of creepers on the upper side and of rafters on the underside. The dwarf pillars are carved and fluted and show ghatapallava, constricted kalasa or Taśuna, double padma, bulbous abacus with a decorative band, and citra-potikā borne be atlantes. The inner wall of the porch has been reinforced by uncarved square pilasters.
The mandapa is incomplete. Some of its pillars, however, are worked out. One of these is thin, plain and square with recessed corners; the other is massive and carefully chiselled. The latter pillar has a square moulded base; the shaft shows a square plain section below, fine ghatapallava in the middle and fluted kalasa above; and the capital, also fluted, displays double padma, kumbha and flattened curved corbel. The central ceiling of the mandapa shows in high relief a full-blown lotus flower with two rows of petals and a central pistil. This lotus ceiling is superior to that found in the Great Kailasa Temple there. On a wall of the mandapa is a standing image of Jina. Stylistically, this cave is datable to the late gth or early 9th century A.D.
Cave 31 - This is a small rectangular cave facing south. It consists of a sanctum and a hall with a row of four pillars dividing it into a front and a rear mandapa. The front mandapa is enclosed on its fore part by an ornate parapet wall with entrance opening at the centre. On the parapet wall stand carved dwarf pillars of circular and square order, supporting the outer ledge of the cave. The inner wall of the parapet shows an amorous couple and a shrine model of the Drāvida style. At the east wall of the front mandapa is a panel containing a standing image of Pärsvanatha with a seven-hooded cobra canopy. On his left is another panel showing Mahāvīra in padmasana and dhyanamudra. On the corresponding west wall stands Bāhubali entwined
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