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The pat painting is an artist's delineation of the complex composition of the 14 Rajloks. The entire background is painted in green. The entrance has an arch delicately carved. On both the sides of the arch are seated two parrot like birds. Below this arch there is a large figure of a man standing upright, with both his hands resting on his waist. The whole body of the man is divided in 14 sections each of which is a square containing a human figure. Each square deployed in the human body symbolically depicts various internal or yogic processes. Flowers and golden flags are portrayed is in small golden squares. The artist has painted an image of the Lord in the forehead of the human figure. The artist has given free reins to his imagination here. This pat painting (6.9" x 2.6" in size) is unique in the sense that we do not have a single pat like this in any other Jain temple of South Gujarat.
There are fifteen recesses covered with glass doors on the first floor of Shri Chandraprabhu temple. Each of them houses a pat painting of 31" x 21.5" portraying some practices and precepts of Jainism. These paintings cover a wide range of subjects and themes such as the places for achieving Tirthankarhood, 170 Tirthankars, Dwarka being set ablaze, the death of Krishna Vasudev, Baldev's diksha, twentyseven bhavs (lives of Shri Mahavir Swami), his wedding ceremony and Kevalgnan or supreme realisation, the childhood of Shri Mahavir Swami, the Gandhar Padvi of the twenty four Tirthankars including Shri Rushabhdev, Anathimuni and king Shrenik, the austerities praticed by Champa Shravika, and king Akbar. The style of these paintings is praiseworthy but they fail to achieve a high order of excellence. Two of the paintings need special mention here. One is the austerities practiced by Champa Shravika and Akbar. The theme of the appearance of Muni Hirvijaysuri in the court of the emperor Akbar is historical. The style here is that of Mogul paintings. But it lacks in detailing and subtleties. The composition of the painting and the selection of colours used do evince the skill of the painter. But the painting falls far short in excellence to the paintings on the ground floor.
There is again a wooden construct representing the mount Meru on the first floor of the temple. It is carved in a style that is both simple and half-abstract. Forest with trees of different size and shapes, caves, deers, animals and birds etc. are painted in folk style on the slopes of the mountain. Sages and ascetics are seen practicing penance. The underlying theme of the piece is Samavasaran or the Manifestation of the Lord. We have to move around to see it in full. A similar Samavasaran piece is there in the outer quadrangle of the temple on the ground floor. This Samavasaran piece is 6' high and the whole of its three stratum structure is beautifully painted.
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Jain Kashthapat Chitra : 51
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