Book Title: Holy Abu
Author(s): Jayantvijay
Publisher: Yashovijay Jain Granthmala

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Page 191
________________ 108 Holy Abu divided into three storeys, one above the other, each enshrining a Jina on each of the four faces. (Fig. 47). The lowermost storey has a standing Jina (with parikara) on each face, while in the two upper storeys there are saparika sculptures (smaller in height) of Jinas sitting in the padmāsana posture. All the sculptures in the Meru (tower) are made of black marble, In the last section of this Hastishālā, near the wall are two images of Jinas with the parikara and an empty pedestal of a Jina image. 1 In this Hastishālā, on two sides of the tower with Chaumukhas, are arranged in five sections, ten big elephants of superior workmanship, adorned with fine tusks, trappings, pālakhīs etc. These elephants carved out of shining white marble, each from one whole slab, are rare pieces of art, beautifully modelled, both realistic and stately, charming with smooth shining white surfaces, neatly polished (compare fig. 48). On the backs of each elephant was sitting a Shravaka, with a mahāvat in front and an umbrella-bearer on his back. The figures are all mutilated and lost and only traces remain to show that they once existed. Below each elephant is inscribed the name of the personage who rode on its back (i. e. in whose memory the portrait sculpture riding on an elephant was installed). The back wall of the Hastishālā is divided into ten different sections, adorned (in each section) with a group of portrait-sculptures shown in high relief and installed in a big niche in each of these wall-sections. Niche I (fig. 32). This Niche contains a big sculptured slab showing, in high relief, portraits of the following personages in a standing attitude with their names inscribed on the pedestal (below each figure).

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