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Kavi
Kavi, situated on the west bank of the river Mahi is yet another centre of Jainism. There is an interesting story associated with the two very beautiful Jain temples found here. The first of the two was built by an elderly woman of an extremely rich family. When it was complete and the idol of the deity was ceremonially installed in it, she went there to offer her prayers together with her daughter-inlaw. The main entrance was very low and so the head of the daughter-in-law collided against the upper frame of the door. She told her mother-in-law that it would have been better if the door had been a little more high. The mother-in-law in her turn chided the daughter-in-law for her comment and asked her to get another temple built with a high door. The daughter-in-law asked her father to give her money for building another temple. The father promised to give her all the profits that would accrue from his business involving a seven-ship fleet. And so the second temple was built at the expense of 11 lac rupees. The first temple then came to be known as the mother-in-law's temple and the second one as the daughter-in-law's.
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EPILOGUE The paintings in the Jain temples can be divided into three major groups, viz. murals or paintings on the walls, wooden pat paintings and pat paintings on cloths. The back-drop pieces exquisitely woven and embroidered with gold and silver threads, were hung behind the idol of the Mul Nayaks in the sanctum sanctorums of the temples. After visiting a number of Jain temples in South Gujarat, I have come to the conclusion that all the paintings on the walls have been lost to us. The only exception here, I believe, is the wall painting in the temple of Adishwar Bhagwan in Rander. The painting is hearly 125 years old and in a highly damaged condition. There are newly prepared pats carved in half relief in marble or murals done with pieces of coloured stones or glass and oil paintings on the walls. But they fall much short in excellence to the ancient ones, and are done in a different style.
Ancient temples are very few in number. Wooden pat paintings have been affixed on the walls themselves. The wooden pillars are adorned with exquisitely carved human figures playing upon different musical instruments and floral designs are painted on them. The heavenly damsels playing upon different musical instruments are simply marvellous and are painted in bright gold.
Jain Kashihapat Chitra : 67
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