ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 133

1.2 Ground Plan of the din tha Temple The din tha temple has been conceived of as a catur-mukha-pr s da, i.e. the idol faces all four cardinal directions. This necessitates a cell (grabha grha, 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 sabh mandapas (assembly halls) or rangamandapas (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 meghan da mandapas (No. 4 in the plan), followed by the bal na 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 sabh mandapas are enclosed by a courtyard which is surrounded by a space formed by three halls on each side (the meghan da mandapas, flanked by two halls, No.6 in the plan). This in turn is bound by eighty devakulikas (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 din tha temple, Depaka succeeded in harmoniously reconciling the differing conceptions. The shrine is first and foremost a catur-mukha temple in which trtha kara, through his quadruple image, conquers the four cardinal directions and hence the cosmos. Depaka was thus able to emulate the famous model of king Kumarapala, namely, the Raj Vih ra in Siddhapura. At the same time the basic conception of a Jaina temple, symbolizing the Samavasarana (the pavilion from which a trtha kara delivers his sermon) is also realized. The four cardinal directions, together with the centre, add up to the holy figure five which represents the cosmos. This mode of counting is common all over Asia and is, therefore, self explanatory.
The four shrines at the corners, which border on the courtyard, give the monument the appearance of a panc ratha (five shrine temple). This is a form which is popular in Hindu temples too. Since these shrines have been arranged in such manner that they are located between the cardinal directions, they in turn produce the concept of the figure nine (centre of the world, cardinal directions and the directions in between). This is a very important basic, representing a mandala (cosmogram as the ground plan of the world). The ingenuity of the architect can be seen in the manner in which he combines the figures five and nine with one another.
Together with the extended shrines (No. 8 in the plan), the temple is surrounded by a total of eighty four devakulikas (No. 9 in the plan). It has the appearance of a classical vih ra (a temple based on the ground plan of a monastery), a common structure amongst the Jainas. The figure eighty-four is representative of the twenty-four trtha karas of the past, present and future, respectively., plus the so-called twelve eternal trtha karas, of whom four each stand for one aeon respectively. In comparison with the simplicity of the exterior, the interior is distinguished by a baroquelike ornateness.
Apart from the purely ornamental and floral motifs, the Jainas also used the entire repertoire of Hindu iconography: deities, celestial musicians, danseuses, ga as (pot bellied dwarfs), elephants and maithunas (lovers) as well as stories from the great epics of the Rm yana and Mah bh rata. The eight dikp las (guardians of the cardinal points) are placed on top of the pillars and the domes are typically adorned with the sixteen Jaina goddesses of Knowledge also with celestial musicians and danseuses.
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