Jain Journal 1984 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 57

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JAIN JOURNAL
in Purulia. The plain surface walls of the temples recall the walls of the Harmasra temple,13 while the small entrance openings (so small that even a boy is to crawl to enter into the sanctum) have closer affinity with that of the Charra temple. There is in both the temples false arch of overlapping courses of stones behind the door-sill. It is curious that this architectural device which was generally used to lessen the weight on the entrance opening has been applied even in these small structures. Either this was conventionally used or the architects felt it architecturally necessary because the lower portion of the temple is too small in comparison to the height of the vimāna. The ruined facade of the south-west temple shows that the gandi internally had two chambers above the sanctum roof tied with one muda.
The most impressive difference between the corner shrines and the central temple is in the construction of the door-way. The door-ways of the corner shrines are very small, rectangular in shape and have two pilasters, whereas, the entrance opening of the central temple is larger and the side walls above a certain height are built in overlapping method forming a triangular shape. The doorway of the central temple is similar to those of the Pakbirra temples. Thus the application of two different architectural methods within the same enclosure of a paņcāyatana group is very curious and pose a perplexing problem as regards to the date of erection of these temples. It is probable that the erectors of these temples originally had no intention or plan of constructing a paņeāyatna group and the corner shrines were built earlier, and the central one was conceived later on or vice-versa. Low height, plain treatment of the outer walls. very small and rectangular opening of the door-way and low ceiling of the sanctum may lead us to fix an earlier date for the corner shrines. On the other hand, the similarity of the doorway of the central shrine with those of the Pakbirra temples drives us to the conclusion that the central shrine was either contemporary to the Pakbirra temples or earlier than the Pakbirra temples. David Mc Cutchion observed that "the image of Santinatha (installed in the sanctum of the central shrine) is much superior in workmanship to any of the sculptures at Pakbirra.” Thus he hinted at an earlier date for the central shrine than that of the Pakbirra temples.
(v) Miniature Temples
Some of the ancient temple-sites of Manbhum have produced a number of monolithic miniature temples. Perhaps the oldest specimen
13 Bankura Jelar Purakirti, Amiya Kr. Bandopadhyay, pub. P.W.D. Govt. of West
Bengal, 1971 (see last plate).