Jain Sanctuaries of the Fortress of Gwalior

Author(s): T V G Shastri
Publisher: Kundkund Gyanpith Indore

Page 86

These have their own artistic splendour, created in the rock sculptures of late Middle ages. The awe inspiring images of the walls of sanctuaries going to a height of nearly 19 m. give a sort of cosmic stature to the Jain deities envisaged by the lithic craftsmen. Neverthless, the perfect proportions maintained in different limbs both in the tiniest chauvimisi panels and the cosmic figures of the Tirthankaras, display the philosophic concept, implied in different stages of life, in crossing the ocean of human existence and in understanding the Digambar Jain religious precepts.
Cave 21 : This is, no doubt, a cave possibly meant mainly to accommodate many images. But, there is no image to show. It as a regular cave sanctuary with a central Tirthankara carved in the western wall.
cave 22 : Here in cave 22, an attempt is made to provide two chambers, one in the lower and other in the upper, to accommodate several images in defferent sizes. There is also an attempt to make it a regular sanctuary, as the images are carved in the cave on the sides of the walls.
The architectural study shows that the cave has two openings, one over the other. The lower one is 11.5x1m., while the other on the top is open with its space measuring 10x 2.5 m. The first opening leads into a well cut rectangular lithic space 10x 5 m, with a uniform height going upto 8m. This could be identified as the first of the lower chamber. Towards the north-eastern corner, there is a fight of steps leading to the platform of the upper chamber. This has an inscription on the southern wall of the entrance.
The upper chamber is provided with an L-shaped landing slab 10 x 1m. along the north and the eastern sides. The walls have a running sculptured band, the base of which is moulded in two stages, with upana and upapitha. They separate the upper and the lower chambers. The upapitha has a pierced diamond decoration, and drop pendents are shown at regular intervals.
Details of sculptures in the lower Chamber:
The images in both the chambers are divided into panels with specific running numbers. Those belonging to the lower chamber start form, 107 and go upto 72 in decending order, all along the four walls beginning from west. The panel on the north-western corner of the west wall, starts with the image having a registered no. 107. Two standing Tirthankaras (106, 107) are covered in the panel of size 60 x 75 cm. Both the images are carved at a height of 75 cm.
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