ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 249

depending on the source consulted. Tradition has it that the main structure of the temple was finally inaugurated in 1441 in the presence of Dharana and his guru, Somasundara Sūriji.
1.2 Ground Plan of the Adinātha Temple The Adinātha temple has been conceived of as a caturmukha-prāsāda, i.e. the idol faces all four cardinal directions. This necessitates a cell (grabhagrha, No. 1 in the plan) with four doorways. The entire ground plan, which is almost a square, derives from this basic conception.
The sanctum is surrounded by halls, known either as the sabhā-mandapas (assembly halls) or ranga mandapas (dance halls, No. 2 in plan). The one on the western side, in the axis of the main entrance, has been given prominence due to its size. As a result, this cell has been placed a little to the east; this accounts for the ground plan not being a perfect square. The central area of the temple is in the form of a crucifix and is encircled by an open rectangular courtyard (No.3).
Along the axis from the sanctum to the assembly halls, there are other halls which are three - storyed: the meghanāda-mandapas (No. 4 in the plan), followed by the balāna-mandapas (portal halls, No.5 in the plan), which provide access to the temple.
On the one hand, the ground plan evolves from the central sanctuary in the four cardinal directions through a series of halls. On the other hand, there are spaces arranged around the square cella in the shape of perfect squares. Thus, the sanctum and the sabhā mandapas are enclosed by a courtyard which is surrounded by a space formed by three halls on each side (the meghanāda mandapas, flanked by two halls, No.6 in the plan). This in turn is bound by eighty devakulikās (subsidiary shrines) screened by a colonnade. In between these are the portals which, on the north and south side, are each flanked by two highly extended shrines (No. 8 in the plan).
In the Ādinātha temple, Depaka succeeded in harmoniously reconciling the differing conceptions. The shrine is first and foremost a caturmukha temple in which tīrthamkara, through his quadruple image, conquers the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. Depaka was thus able to emulate the famous model of king Kumārapāla, namely, the Rāja Vihāra in Siddhapura. At the same time the basic conception of a Jaina temple, symbolizing the Samavasarana (the pavilion from which a tīrthamkara delivers his sermon) is also
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0