________________
Description and Chronology of Caves
111 seated figures turned to the Jina. The alternate compartments have males and females (Plate 73).
The assumption that this panel shows Jina seated within a shrine is attested by the comparison of the panel with the shrines of J19 and J20, the doorway of which have devotees on śākhās. The depiction of Parsvanatha to right and Bahubali to left is also in keeping with iconographic programme of all the caves on the site.
3. Figures: This panel is quite damaged. It depicts a male in the centre in the attitude of dancing. There are three females to his right and, while on the left are two males moving away from the central figure (Plate 74).
The figures of all the panels have heads towards the hall.
Hall
The ceiling of the hall contains a large number of paintings. As in other caves, the central mandapa is painted with a single design, the side aisles depict figures within framed panels and the stone beams between pillars and pilasters show figures in single or double frames.
of the side aisle ceilings, the paintings on right and left aisle are extant, while those on front and back aisles are not clear. The panels on the right aisle ceiling are very dark and unclear. The paintings on left aisle ceiling are destroyed near back and front walls. Like other caves, the paintings on aisle ceiling are not arranged systematically. There are two large panels divided by a border. Each panel is divided into few frames. Beyond these large panels, the ceiling is divided in two rows of uniform sized frames.
4. Figures: The large panel near back wall has a row of four squares on the side of the sidewall. All the squares have flying celestial beings with heads towards inside of the hall. The first frame near back wall has two females, one holding a garland. Next frame has a male flanked by females. One female holds a patra with offerings. Next two panels also have a male flanked be females.
The rest of the panel has three narrow rows. Each row has narrative scenes without border demarcation. The figures in these rows have heads towards the sidewall. Among these rows the one near sidewall seems to be the narration of few episodes from the life of Parsvanatha. The narrative runs from left to right. The first scene near back wall has a man seated turned to his right. He wears an upper garment, which is tied in a knot over one shoulder. Behind him and to his side, three males are seated. There is another man in extreme right with one leg held up and bent. His hands are in anjali. All these males are turned to right where a man is bent down with one hand stretched. Near his feet, on ground is a log from which a snake is coming out. In extreme are three more males standing looking at the central male.
The scene appears to depict an important episode from the life of Parsvanātha when as a prince he saved life of a pair of snakes from a burning log used by a Brahmin, an enemy of Parsvanatha from the previous life, for pañchagni penance and the same Brahmin, reborn as Kamatha, attacked Parsvanatha later on when he was meditating before achieving enlightenment. The male towards whom all the men are turned and who is bent down can be identified as Prince Parsvanatha saving the snake from the burning
