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Jaina Monuments of Orissa
the Sāsanadevi images. On the right wall are carved two figures, one of Pārsvanātha and the other of Rşabhanātha, both seated in yogāsana. On the left wall is carved a small figure of Chandraprabha also in yogasana pose.
There are altogether five inscriptions, one mentioning sravakiruvi below the figure of Pārsvanātha on the right wall of the right cell, three on the remnant of the partition wall and the fifth, the largest and in three lines, on the inner side of the architrave of the verandah. The last is the most important as it records the work of Subhachandra, disciple of Kulachandra, who was the acharya (teacher) of the Desinaga, derived from the Grahakula belonging to the Aryasamgha in the eighteenth regnal year of Udyotakeśarl, who belonged to the Somavamśí dynasty and ruled over Orissa in the eleventh century. Of three inscriptions on the partition wall, one again mentions the same Subhachandra and the other two, the names of two students (chatra) Vijo and Sridhara.
Cave No. 8 – Bārabhuji-Gumphā
The general layout of this cave consists of a large chamber at the back and a pillared verandah in front. The cell had a pillow like floor and a convex ceiling. But the entire floor of the cell has been dug out and replaced with modern masonry works. With this, the front wall including door opening intervening walls and the verandah floor have also been destroyed deliberately. The two concrete piers and the flooring are modern. New pillars have been provided against the missing ones. The left wall of the verandah has a cup-board. The verandah pillars have been connected by lintels excavated in solid rocks.
Twenty-four Tirthankara figures of the Jaina pantheon are carved in twenty-five niches of the back and side walls of which Pārsvanātha has been repeated twice. The left wall contains five such images, the back wall eighteen and the right wall two. Of the two figures of Pārsvanātha one is in its proper position with the series, the standing one, however, occupies the first place on the back wall. They are all in yogāsana with their respective lāñchanas and chauri bearers, keva!a tree, flying figures and heavenly music.
Below the Tirthankaras are carved the Saszadevis in separate niches all seated in ardhapar yankāsana except Mahāmānasi, the Susanadevi of Santinātha who is seated cross legged and Bahurupiņi, the Sasanadevi associated with Munisuvrata who is lying. Twenty of these sit on legged seats and four, the fourth, sixteenth, twenty-second and twenty-third on lotus, below which are carved their animal mounts. The attributes of their hands in many cases are damaged. The left and the right walls of the verandah contain the figures of Chakreśvari and Rohiņi respectively. The details of Jaina Tirthankaras and their Sasanadevis will be discussed, in the chapter dealing with iconography of Jaina images. In front of the Bārabhuji-Gumph, we notice a miniature shrine of Pidha order devoid of any image within. It is of modern construction. A standing figure of Malāvira (Hanuman) is carved on the living rock in the space between cave No.8 and No. 9.
