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beings. Farther from this, there is the eighth Dwip or Nandishwar Dwip. This is the abode of gods and goddesses who get everything they want form Kalpavrukshas.
Coloured paintings on all the four wooden beams in the temple depict various scenes of excruciating pains and tormentations inflicted by way of punishment in hell. The punishments are splitting head with the help of an axe, piercing the back with a trindent, slicing with a sword, milling a jiva or self, yoking a jiva to a cart, extracting the tonngue out, beating with a mace, sawing one while making him stand in an unnatural posture, piercing chest with a lance and holding one high with the lance itself etc. There are many other punishments inflicted by the angels of Death. Besides, there are scenes of heaven depicted in forceful lines and dim colours. The impact of folk art can also be discerned in these paintings.
The Temple of Mahavir Swami of Digambars
The idol of Mul Nayak Mahavir is 16" high and bears the mark of lion. It was ceremonially installed in 1615. The inscription on its front reads "Shri Kasthasanghe Om namah". There is an idol of Padmavati flanked with one lion and one tiger on each side at its foot. The 19" idol of Adinath is of white marble. There is a 3" silver image of Parshwanath. Besides, there are small images such as one made of coral, three made of black touch-stone, quite a few made of metal and Yantras and a Siddhachakra made of silver and copper in the undergound cellar of the temple.
The wooden alter is adorned with beautifully carved dolls, fourteen dreams and Ashtamangal. Figures of celestial damsels playing upon different musical instruments adorn the wooden pillars. The paintings on the wooden beams are small in size but rich in delicate line-work. Very limited number of colours are used in beautifully drawn figures that include police-men and players of musical instruments. We can clearly see the influence of the Maratha paintings or even European paintings. Each painting bears a caption such as namkarma, gotrakarma, antaraykarma, ayukarma, vadani karma, mohanikarma, dadarashnakarma and guanvanikarma. One of the paintings depicts the wellknown story of six blind men and an elephant.
64 Jain Kashthapat Chitra
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