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Pittalahara (Temple built by Bhima Shāha)]
131
Inscriptions on the two niches in the navachoki of this temple show that the niches were consecrated in V.S. 1531,1 while some cells in the Bhamati were erected in V.S. 1547. The shrine of Sumatinatha in the Bhamati was erected in V.S. 1540.
The present mulanāyaka image in the shrine (fig. 50) was cast by an artist from Mehsāņa (North Gujarat), called Deva, the son of Sūtradhāra Maṇḍana. It is a beautiful Pañcha-tirthi sculpture of Adinatha with attendant parikara, its size being approximately 8 ft. high X 5.5 ft. broad. The figure of Adinātha is 41 inches in height. Besides this mūlanayaka sculpture, there are in the shrine, two simple metal images of Tirthankaras, four Kāusaggiyās and one Tri-tirthika sa-parikara sculpture.
In the gūḍhamandapa, on one side is worshipped a big stone Pancha-tirthika sculpture of Adinatha. The inscription on it shows that it was installed in V.S. 1525 by Shravaka Simha and Ratna of Sirohaḍi (Sirohi ). There are in this hall, two smaller simple metal images of Jinas (in the two niches) twenty stone images showing no parikara, a metal Tritirthika Jina figure and another metal Ekatirthika Jina figure. There is a sculpture of Shri Gautama svāmī (the first Gaṇadhara of Mahāvīra) carved out of yellow stone, with the Ogho shown behind his neck, the mouthpiece on the right shoulder, and a rosary carried in one hand. The inscription on it shows that it was installed in V.S. 1495. A sculpture of Ambika also preserved in this hall was installed in V.S. 1509, according to the inscription on its pedestal.
The inscriptions in the two niches of the navachoki ceremony etc. Possibly the figure includes the expenses of the yatra or the cost of erecting the temple.
1 Ābu, Vol. II. Inscriptions nos. 428-9.
