Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies Vol 01 Jaina Art and Architecture

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

Page 68

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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
(tapas) of Bāhubali. At the back wall of the hall is a shows twelve beautiful pillars in a rectangular framework, shrine having a seated image of Mahāvīra; Sarvanubhuti dividing the entire area into a central nave and and Ambika flank the door.
surrounding aisle. The wall enclosing the aisle has Behind the court are two verandahs (each screened carved pilasters in alignment with the pillars, and the by two pillars and two pilasters), a twelve-pillared bays formed by them are occupied by Jina figures. In incomplete hall, a vestibule with two pillars, and a the central bay on each side is a seated image of shrine with an image of Mahāvīra seated in dhyanamudră. Mahāvīra with attendants, while the other bays contain At the west end of the front verandah, which is each a pair of seated Jinas. The two extreme bays of approached from the court by a staircase, is a cave with the back wall and the two pilasters flanking the shrine hall and shrine. The hall has usual figures of Pārsvanātha carry each a standing Jina; the two intermediary bays and Bāhubali but has no pillars, while the shrine contains have images of Pārsvanātha and Bāhubali respectively. an image of Mahāvīra seated in dhyanamudra, with The image of Bahubali is the best at Ellora. Sarvānubhūti and Ambikā flanking the door. The two The twelve pillars of the hall are of three different pilasters at the west end of the front verandah carry orders. The four corner pillars are square in section; two colossuses of śāntinātha with an inscription of the their base consists of jagati, inverted padma, tripatta 8th-9th century A.D. saying that they were made by kumuda and usual padma; the shaft has plain cube, a Sohila. A cave with similar set of sculptures has also belt with standing Jina on each face, a belt with two been excavated at the east end of the front verandah. decorative bands of garlands and scrolls, and fluted Near the east cave is a stone stair which leads to the kalasa; and the fluted capital shows double padma, verandah of the upper storey.
bulbous ghata and flattened round corbel (Fig. 23). The The upper storey consists of a verandah, a hall, four central pillars in front and back rows are identical a shrine and two caves flanking the court. The verandah to the corner ones, but their fluted kalaša and capital (54 ft. by 10 ft.) shows two square dwarf pillars (with are round in shape and the two middle belts are replaced recessed corners and ornate shaft) and two pilasters on by a large cube bearing decoration of excellent fluted a parapet wall on the front, and two mixed varieties ghatapallava on each face (Fig. 22; Pl. 11). The four of pillars (with square base, sixteen-sided ornate shaft central pillars on the lateral sides are similar to the and plain capital, Fig. 25) and two pilasters with a low preceding ones, but the three-fourth square section of partition wall between on the back. At either end of the shaft is left plain and one-fourth top section is the verandah is a 14 12 ft. high image, Sarvānubhūti decorated with stylised ghatapallava with a seated Jina in the west and Ambikā in the east, sitting with their on each face (Fig. 24). In the central part of the nave attendants under the banyan and mango trees respectively. is a quadruple of Jina, now sadly damaged, and in the The parapet consists of vedikā, āsana-patta and ceiling above it is carved a large lotus. The ceilings kaksäsana. The vedikā is decorated with fore parts of of the hall retain a good deal of paintings. elephants and pilasters, the asanapatta is treated as a The catuśśākhā door of the shrine, which is stepped plain ürdhvapadma, and the kaksāsana is adorned with up from a moonstone, consists of ratna, stambha, Jina pürnaghatas between pairs of segmented pillarettes. The and Vidyādharī respectively. The two outer śākhās and verandah is shaded above by a rocky ledge bearing ratnasakhă are also extended over the door-lintel, but carvings on their facade.
the space between the tops of the stambhasākhās is The great hall (78 ft. by 55 ft.) behind the verandah filled with a sculptural panel representing seated and
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