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CHAPTER 29]
THE DECCAN
MONUMENTS IN MAHARASHTRA
The followers of Jainism in the Maharashtra region have also left behind some interesting examples of works of art and architecture. The temples built by the Jainas here are naturally in the local style, in the northern Sikharastyle of a particular variety which went by the popular name of Hemādpanthi sytle, and Jaina temples also possessed architectural feature characteristic of this style. Some of them belonging, however, to the twelfth century are found at Anjaneri in Nasik District. Among the Jaina temples of this region belonging to this period, interestingly two are cave-temples. One of them is at Tringalvadi and the other at Chandor, both in Nasik District. The former, which has an inscription of 1344, is a very ornate cave-temple. It consists of a garbha-grha, antarala and mand apa. "Along the front of this mand apa is a low parapet-wall from which rise pillars, one on either side of the entrance, supporting the outer eave of the verandah. There are grille-windows, ceiling-designs, beautifully-carved pillars, carved front doorway and bands of mouldings. In the shrine there is a mutilated figure of Tirthankara. The Chander cave, which seems to be later in date, has a small room supported by rough square pillars. Inside is an image of Candraprabha.'
An unfinished Jaina temple at Sirpur, 19 km. north-west of Basim in Berar, dedicated to Antariksa-Pārsvanātha, is of interest. It has an abraded inscription dated sarvat 1334 (A.D. 1278 if the era is Vikrama), which contains this name of the Tirthankara. It has a star-shaped plan and its walls are decorated with band of arabasque. The sikhara of the temple, in brick-and-mortar, seems to have been a later addition. The entrance-doorway of the hall is elaborately carved and has images at the bottom on either side, some of the images being representation of nude Jaina figures. The lintel of the doorway has the small seated figure of a Jina."
PILLARS
The next class of architectural components is the pillars, the mānastambhas and Brahmadeva-stambhas. These columns form an integral part of the temple, but they have an individuality of their own which is admittedly charming. Says Smith of the stambhas of Kanara: 'In the whole range of Indian
H. Cousens, Medieval Temples of the Dekkan, Archaeological Survey of India, New Imperial Series, XLVII, Calcutta, 1931, p. 43 ff.
* Ibid., p. 48. 3 Ibid., p. 49. * Joid., pp. 67-68, where the date 1334 is referred to the Saka era.
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