Book Title: Jaina Monuments and Places First Class Importance
Author(s): T N Ramchandran
Publisher: Veer Shasan Sangh Calcutta

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Page 20
________________ JAINA MONUMENTS is little doubt that at least some of the caves were excavated by him and his family. It is possible that the residence of Arhats (monks), which king Khāravela is represented in his inscription to have erected, refers to Rāni Nür or Rānigumpha. This lies behind Hāthigumphū and is the most spacious and elaborately decorated rockcut cave in the hill. It is a two-storeyed structure consisting of a number of cells and was originally provided with a verāndah in both the storeys. To the right and left of the verandāhs, in the two projected wings of the cave, there are also chambers of irregular shape. The friezes seem to represent some legends from Jaina mythology, but have never been satisfactorily explained. The Rāni Nür sculpture may be said to be typical of the School represented by the Udayagiri caves. It shows a more advanced technique than Bhārhut, while the balancing of the delails in the compositions, and the vigorous and animated treatment of the figures, which are specially noteworthy in the friezes of the upper storey of Rāni Nür, are suggestive of a stage of development witnessed in the reliefs of the Sānchi Gateways. NORTH INDIA 5. KHAJURĀHO : The groups of Hindu and Jaina temples at the old Chandela capital of Khajurālo in Bundelkhand are second in importance and magnificence only to the mediaeval 4.cmples at Orissa. All appear to have been erected between 950 and 1050 A.D. The Vaişnava Caturbhuja and the Jaina Ādinātha temples are in exactly the same style, to be distinguished only by the details of their sculpture.

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