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Vimala-Vasahi]
79
accessories for temple worship are kept at present. One of these two rooms has an underground chamber1 which is now empty. There are three or four more such chambers in the Vimala and the Lūņa Vasahis, all of them being empty to-day.
In the Vimala Vasahi there are 121 pillars in all, out of these, 30 are very richly carved while the rest show less ornamental details. The whole shrine covers an area: 140 feet long x 90 feet broad. Hasti-Shala of the Vimala Vasahi:
In front of the main entrance to the Vimala Vasahī temple, is a big roofed hall known as the Hasti-Shālā or the Hall of Elephants which was erected by the minister Pṛthvipāla, at the time of repairs to some of the cells of the shrine, in V.S. 1204.2 As stated before, Pṛthvipāla was the son of minister Ananda, who was the son of minister Dhavala, the son of minister Neḍha, the elder brother of Vimala Shaha. The hall was erected in memory of the ancestors.
In this Hasti-Shālā is situated, just in front of the entrance of the Vimala Vasahi-and hence the main deity himself, an equestrian figure of Minister Vimala wearing a crown on his head and carrying in his right hand a dish, a cup etc., which suggest that he is holding offerings etc., for worship. With the left hand, the minister holds the reins
1 The cell was cleaned by Muni Jayantavijayaji who writes that a big brass image of Ambika and ten metal images of Jinas (all of which, according to him, seemed to be 500. to 600 years old) were found. There were besides some broken parts of big stone sculptures.
The big brass Ambikā seems to be the one now kept in the big dark cell. It would be worth while investigating where the other bronzes are kept at present-Translator.
Abu, Vol. II, inscription nos. 72, 233.
