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OCTOBER, 1983
kāyotsarga on a small lotus seat under the canopy of a seven-hooded snake, which is surmounted by a trilinear chatra. A nāga couple with their hands folded and tails inter-coiled springs gracefully and rythmically from the central projection of a triratha pedestal to just beside the feet of the saviour. A pair of kneeling devotees with their hands joined in anjali-mudrā is seen on the plane of the pedestal, which bears the sentation of crouching lions on the remaining facets. The Jina is flanked by two male caüri-bearers standing in graceful abhanga pose wearing lower garments and bedecked with jewelleries. On the edge of the rectangular back slab are the twentyfour tirthankaras arranged in pairs, one above the other. The lāñchanas of the Jinas are carved on their pedestals and quite a number of them are recognizable. Flying Vidyādhara
ding garlands is seen high up on the stele, and also heavenly hands beating on tammata and Jayaghāta.
4. Pancatirthika of Parsvanatha, 34cm x 34cm
(fig. 4)
Parsvanatha, the mūla-nāyaka stands in kāyotsarga on a doublepettaled lotus under the usual canopy of a seven-hooded serpent. He wears curly hair with uşnīsa and is accompanied on either side by gracefully adorned caüri-bearers. A nāga couple with their tails entwined, the male with arms folded in namaskāra-mudrā and the female holding a musical instrument, is shown beside the attendants of the Jina. On the back slab are carved four images of Tirthankaras in kāyotsarga two in each side of the mula-nāyaka with their respective lāñchanas depicted on a slightly raised pedestal below them. From their cognizances these Tirthankaras can be identified as Vasupujya and Padmaprabha to the right of the mūla-nāyaka, and Neminatha and Mahavira to his left. The upper part of the stele contains the usual Vidyādhara couple, the prātihāryas of heavenly hands playing on musical instruments and a projected three-tiered chatra surmounting the snake hoods. The face and the torso of the Jina are slightly abraded. The triratha pedestal reveals crouching lions, a female devotee, and naivedya offerings.
5. Tirthankara Candraprabha, 35cm x 18cm (fig. 5)
This sculpture is strikingly bare, devoid of embellishments, and almost certainly left unfinished. The figure of Tirthankara is carved on a recessed portion of the back-slab. The Jina stands in kāyotsarga on a doublelotus under a multi-tiered chatra. He has elongated ears and his hair is arranged in stylized curls with an uşnişa. The back-slab reveals male caüri-bearers flanking the Jina at the lower corners, and twin Vidyadharas at the upper-all four carved on a raised background. The central pro
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