Jain Temples of Rajasthan

Author(s): Sehdav Kumar
Publisher: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art Abhinav Publications

Page 93

The third course represents images of four-armed lalităsana goddesses in projecting niches and attendant figures in alternate
recesses.
The fourth course is gajatālu (literally 'an elephant's palate'; in architecture, a coffered course in a ceiling decorated with rafters).
The fifth course depicts figures of musicians and dancers, and of warriors carrying weapons.
The sixth course is again gajatālu.
The seventh course is carved with figures of horse-riders.
The eighth and the ninth courses consist of thirty-two-foil and twenty-eight-foil kolas (literally, 'pig's tusk'; in architecture, a cusped course in a ceiling decorated with rafters), each foil containing a stamenal tube clasped by one row of petals of the lotus.
The tenth course carries images of two-armed standing goddesses Cakreśvarī and Vajraśṛnkhala and figures of cauribearers.
The eleventh circular comprises of two circular panels: the outer panel has a band of geese and twelve projecting lūmās (decorative motifs of the ceiling consisting of lotus pendants); the inner panel has figures of pitcher bearers.
Surrounding the principal pendant of the lotus are twelve smaller pendants or lūmās, each one of which resembles a serrated diamond, consisting of an eight-foil reverse kola, an eightfoil normal kola, a long stamenal tube clasped by a band of dancers and musicians, and one row of petals.
The central pendant of the lotus, padmašila, consists of two courses of eight-foil and six-foil kolas and a figural band between them representing horse-riders, elephants and a chariot drawn by human figures. Between the kola courses is also placed a reverse gajatālu.
From the padmašilā issues a long stamenal tube clasped by a band of dancers and musicians and one row of petals.
The ornamental domical ceiling of the rangamaṇḍapa is supported on an octagonal frame of architraves put across the central pillars; in all there are twelve pillars disposed along the four sides of the square central nave.
All the pillars are of the square type, with corners chamfered into three angles. The shaft of the pillars has four sections: square, octagonal, sixteen-sided and circular. The circular section is carved into two belts: the lower belt is carved with figures of śrāvakas and śrāvikās carrying water pitchers, warriors, horse-riders, elephants with drivers, gandharvas and vidyadharas, lotus scrolls and diamonds. The upper belt is surmounted by a band of kirttimukhas.
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