Jaina Monuments Of Orissa

Author(s): R P Mohapatra
Publisher: D K Publications

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Jaina Monuments of Orissa
his chest. In the sixth relief only two figures can be traced, one holding an umbrella over the other in the centre. In the seventh, five figures are traceable of whom one stands with folded hands and the other holds a sword.
The eighth compartment at its extreme left end depicts a royal figure with two followers. One of these followers is holding the umbrella and the other seen with folded hands. A little further are two standing women bringing offerings, one carrying a tray and another a flower (?) and two kneeling figures, one of them with flowing fillets round the head. Of the latter group, the front one is holding the feet as a token of submission of a person who seems to be snatching at the head dress of the former and the rear one has his hands folded. Both of them seem to have alighted from a caparisoned horse standing to the extreme right.
The last of the series depicts a reception offered to the royal figure apparently on his return to the capital after victorious campaigns.
Upper storey: Main wing
The upper storey is not placed above the lower, but to some extent behind it. The roof of the cells of the lower storey forms an open terrace in front of the upper storey.
The roof of the verandah is supported by nine massive pillars, seven entirely modern on the old stepped pedestals and two repaired in the middle. The original pillars were once fixed with brackets as evident from their remnants. A continuous bench is running through the entire length of the verandah at the back and near side walls, cup-boards are noticed on two sides of the verandah wall. The ceiling of the verandah in front is designed flat. Grooves and deep channels have been cut in the living rock to drain out rain water leaking through the verandah roof. The main wing consists of four cells having door-ways flanked by side pilasters, the capitals of which are crowned by winged addorsed animals. The arches springing from the top of the pilasters are relieved with various floral devices, honey-suckles, creepers and animals chased by boys. Symbols of Srivatsa, nandipada, snake and lotus form the finials of these arches. A twobarred railing, supported by dwarfish figures, is running between the doors with breaks. The spaces in between the arches are relieved with various scenes, a few of which from the left are in good state of preservation.
In the beginning, a flying Vidyadhara dressed in a plain dhoti and a scarf (Chadar) and holding a tray of flowers, a roll of garland and few lotus buds is depicted.
The second compartment represents a duel between a herd of elephants and a large crowd consisting of one man and ten women. The third compartment depicts a duel between a man and a woman in front of a rock shelter and the carrying away of the woman by the man. The fourth scene represents a royal hunting scene. The figures in the fifth are much defaced but as far as they can be made out the panel centres round performance of a dance accompanied by music in front of a seated couple.