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Again, the shikhara at the top, suggests that the cave sanctuary represents the temple as well. The concept is the same, not only of this Naminatha group, but in Cave 18 of Ek Pathar - ki - Bavdi group of Gopachal also, such a shikhara sanctuary has been encountered.
Image in the Cave of Naminatha :
The image faces north and it is mainly appreciated as stated earlier mainly from the upper chamber, as the entire pedestal is confined mostly to the lower chamber. On either side of the pedestal along the western wall there are two pillars carrying floral scroll work and the gajakalasha motif over the head of the image. The vrttapitha over the pedestal carries the flower 'lily', that symbolises the 21 st Tirthankar Naminath.
Flanking the pedestal, of the mulanayaka, prancing lions are seen moving either way. The top portion of the pedestal bearing the cross legs of the image is a vrttapitha, the mukhapattika of which carries the flower 'lily'. The soles of the feet are raised up and are placed over vrttapitha in padmasana. Again, the joints of the upper and the lower arms are placed over the upper part of the thighs with palms one over the other, in the lap, in dhyanamudra.
Incidentally, the vrttapitha enveloping the knees and the upper portion of the pedestal, that carries the lions, there is a five lined inscription referring to the image of Naminath. The date is also indicated with Vikrama samvat but the numbers of the year are not clear.
The seated image (Plate 29) in the upper chamber is raised to a height of 3.5 m. above the base of the pedestal. It emerges through a promiment opening allowing equal width on either side of the arms at the back wall, on the western side in the ceiling, that separates the two chambers. Incidentally, the total image with the pedestal raises to a height of 6.5 m.
On either side, as seen in the upper chamber, the image is flanked by two pillars that carry a double storied temple motif on the abacus. The temple motif in turn is projected in a semi-circular area which carries decorative hemispherical disc, the 'halo' right above the head. A gajakalasha motif is sculptured enveloping disc over separate pedestals. On the eastern wall of the upper chamber, there is a rectangular opening on either side of which, the standing Tirthankaras are shown in a row of six with the bigger Tirthankara in the centre, thus rendering the niche into trichauvimsi (72, Tirthankaras in one) motif. The western wall contains smaller niche, of another standing Tirthankara.
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