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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India The verandah is 9.2m by 3m. It is entered by a flight of six steps with hastihasta. It has kaksāsanas with two dwarf pillars and corresponding pilasters. The bases of the pillars jut out from the kaksāsanas. The verandah is divided from the hall by a low wall with two pillars on it near the entrance. The hall is now closed with a metal screen. In the left or the eastern end of the verandah is an U-shaped stair leading to the upper storey.
The hall is roughly blocked out. Like the hall of the upper storey, it was planned to have twelve pillars in a square. Of these, two pillars in the front and back are finished. The corner pillars and two pillars on each side are roughly made. Thus, the front and the back aisles are almost finished, while the side aisles are roughly blocked out. As in the upper storey, the hall was planned to be wider than the verandah. It was intended to be about 21.6m by 16.8m. There is a stone beam between the pillars, both on the ceiling and the floor. The floor between the pillars is raised.
The antechamber is roughly blocked out with two pilasters. About three-quarter portion of the pilasters is relived from the rock. The shrine doorway is similar to that of J10 Here the kapota has four triangular plates instead of two and the pilasters of the stambha sakhā have bases also. There is a lintel, but is uncarved. There are three steps with histihasta.
The shrine is 4.85m by 3.8m. The main icon on the back wall is finished.
Sculptures
Other than the shrine image, there is a large, standing figure of a Jina on the southern face of the left front pillar in the hall. It is perhaps an intrusion (Fig. 18, Plate 60).
Icon
Size
Distinct Features
Icon NO
Shrine by No musicians or garland bearers (Fig. 25g)
Seated Jina
3.65m 3.1m
Standing Jina
2.7m 0.95m
Hall A seated male devotee on each side near feet. The figure on the right wears a necklace. His hair is tied in a bun above the head and has a beard. Below this image is an inscription, which says "Sri Nagavarmma krita pratima" meaning "(This) image (is) made by Sri Nagavarmma" (Burgess and Indraji 1881: 98).
J18
The upper storey or J18 is the most elabosrate and ornate cave of the site. It has a halfenclosed verandah, a hall, and a shrine (Fig. 28). On elevation, it has mattavārana, kak säsanas, two dwarf pillars and two pilasters on kaksāsanas, heavy kapota and a damaged facade. The mattavārana and the kakşāsanas have an opening in the middle as an entrance with the portion in front of two pillars projecting out. However, since it is the upper storey, the entrance is through a stairway from the verandah of J15. The
