________________
RANGANATH & PRAKASH : JAIN MONUMENTS IN ANANTAPUR
69
7. Kambadur
Kambadur is 82 Kms away from Anantapur town. It is a Jain centre. There are three temples with stepped-pyramidal towers. In the midst of the fields is a ruined and almost deserted Jaina temple. Though it is almost in a dilapidated condition, it still exhibits its original Jaina features without undergoing any modification in subsequent times. Like Votigullu of Nalgonda (Dist.) this temple also does not have any principal deity in the garbhālaya.
The temple faces South. The vimāna of the temple is outstanding. The superstructure is a stepped-pyramid consisting of six diminishing talas of plain horizontal slabs. The girva is narrow and the low square Sikhara is domical. On the Sikhara, there are four niches or kudus on four sides which contain each a seated Jaina figure. It has a garbhagrha, antarala and mukhamantapa. Over the front door-way is carved the lintel with a small seated Jaina figure same as that on the Sikhara the monument. The mukhamantapa whose root has crumbled into pieces is rectangular in plan. Then comes a narrow antarala which leads to the garbhagrha. On the door-lintel of the garbhagrha is also carved the same seated Jaina muni as that on the door lintel of the entrance. The distinctive characteristic feature of the temples lies in depicting the Jaina figures in 'Kayotsarga-posture' (standing stiff pose) on either side of the entrance to the garbhagrha just like the dwarapalas of the Hindu temples.
The other two temples are Akkammavari-gudi (Shrine of Akkamma) and the Mallikharjuna Swami Temple. The shrine of Akkamma is deserted. The Mallikharjuna temple is possessing Jaina inscriptions along with other records. A Jaina panel on the Northern wall of the temple and the Jaina records indicate that the present Mallikhārjuna temple was originally Jaina and later it was appropriated by Saivites. Architecturally, the temple belongs to the 9th century A.D. or perhaps still later period
8. Ratnagiri
Jainas are also known to have built mathas attached to their Jaina basadis. In Karnataka, we get so many extant Jaina mathas attached to the basadis. In Andhra, we find one matha attached to Santhinatha basadi at "Ratnagiri" in Anantapur district. Ratnagiri is a small village, situated at a distance of 25 Kms from Madakasira town in Anantapur district. It is an illustrious Jaina centre and contains a very rare Jaina matha. As in other places, it is attached to the main basadi dedicated to Santhinatha. Since this Santhinatha basadi has undergone several
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
