Jaina Monuments of Andhra

Author(s): G Jawaharlal
Publisher: Sharada Publishing House Delhi

Page 78

Jaina Monuments of Andhra
in stiff-standing pose. The entrance door-jambs of the temple present poorna-ghatas at the bottom and a Jaina-muni on the lalatabimba. Over the ardha-mandapa, are niches which house images of Tirthankaras and their Sasanadevis. The lateral entrances have small cells, which also contain images of Tirthankaras. The basadi at present being well maintained by a local Jain family.
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The extant Jain-matha at Ratnagiri has only the ardhamukhamandapa.25 Over it, are small gopuras, which have niches with Jain-Tirthankara images (Fig-24). The peculiarity of the matha is the depiction of females trampling makaras, as Dwarapala. Though the exact import of this depiction is not clear, such carvings are very common among the Jain-mathas in Karnataka. The door-frame of the entrance shows a Jain-muni on the lalatabimba. The pillaras of the ardhamandapa are carved with dancing figures. The matha in its interior, is an interesting structure with triple cells, having a common corridor infront. The cells are plain, except for a seated Jain-muni, carved on the lintel of the above three cells. Very likely, they were used as residentiaries. These three cells were connected by a covered corridor on the four sides. The top of the central portion is left uncovered. Over the corridor, there is a parapet wall on all sides, adorned with a frieze of small gopuras, with Tirthankaras and their Sasanadevis in the niches (fig-25). On the top of the corridor, monkey figures are carved here and there. As we know, Kapi (i.e. monkey) forms the lanchana of the fourth Tirthankara, Abhinandanadeva. On the adhisthana of the corridor are ganas in usual poses. No doubt, this Jain matha stands as a unique landmark in Andhra due to its rarity and sculptural embelishment.
Penukonda, the headquarters of the taluka of the same name in Anantapur district, boasts of Jain relics and temples. According to tradition,25 Penukonda stood as one of the four Vidyasthanas of the Jain church, the other being Delhi, Kolhapur, and Jina-Kanchi. JinabhushanaBhattaraka, a Jain teacher mentioned in the epigraph now kept in the premises of the Parsvanatha temple, was perhaps an early Pontiff associated with this area." At present there are two Jain temples - one