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

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Page 255
________________ 172 [Holy Abu pavilion with a dome (possibly on the site of a ruined older shrine) in which is worshipped a standing male figure carrying a cup (bowl) in his left hand while a trident of the size of the male is shown on the right of the figure worshipped as Rasio Valama (fig. 64). A kneeling devotee is shown near his right leg while the figure on the corresponding left side is indistinct.1 There are in this area, a few more small ruined shrines of Vishnu, Shiva and Ganesha (figure 61). (19-20-21) Nalagupha, Paṇḍava-gupha and the MauniBāvā cave. At abcut 2 furlongs from the shrine of Shrimātā is a cave called the cave of King Nala (of Hindu Mythology); 1 By the side of the figure of Rasio Vālama is an old image of a three-headed goddess, with a lion on each side as her vchicle, possibly representing a form of Durga and assignable to late sixth century A. D. The image of Rasia is much later, of c. 14th century A. D., but the pedestal is buried under ground-level. It would be worthwhile investigating whether there is an inscription on the pedestal or not-Translator. 2 The shrine of Vishnu is a bigger structure with a few carvings on the outer wall and some loose sculptures in its Sabhāmaṇḍapa. In the sanctum is worshipped an image of Vishnu while sculptures in the Sabhamaṇḍapa include a few figures of Hindu Mātṛkās. These Mātṛkās, as also a figure of Surya standing, are assignable to the post-Gupta age. A sculpture of Shesha-Shayi Vishnu (fig. 62) in this shrine is also an early piece while there are two later sculptures of standing Vishnu in two niches. The shrine seems to have undergone large scale repairs in the fifteenth century A. D. and the postGupta sculptures preserved here might have belonged to this or any other shrine nearby. The three-headed mother-goddess figure standing by the side of Rasiyā Vālama is also a postGupta sculpture.-Translator.

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