________________
Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India
120 J25
This cave is different in plan, style of sculptures and the iconographic programme. There is not much ornamentation, both on the icons and the cave. The pillars are also plain.
As all the caves, it also has a verandah, a hall and a shrine on the ground plan (Fig. 37). The mattavārana, kaksāsanas and the kapota, found in most of the large caves, are absent. A flight of six steps, which is reconstructed recently, leads to the verandah. From the outside, the cave is very plain with three figures of seated Jinas on the façade.
Unlike, other caves the verandah is enclosed with a large opening in the middle, which is roughly made and is partially damaged. The verandah is 6.9m by 1.4m and the opening is around 4.15m wide. The verandah ends and the front walls carry icons. The verandah is separated from the hall by two pillars and the corresponding pilasters. The pillars are plain shafts with two-armed, rounded brackets, while the pilasters are just plain shafts. Between each pillar and pilaster is a low parapet wall while between the pillars is a stone beim on the floor.
The hall is 6.9m by 6.45m. In the middle are four pillars with the corresponding pilasters, similar to the pillars between the verandah and the hall. The pilasters on the back wall are just plain shafts. The floor between the pillars is raised with stone beams on the floor and the ceiling. There are niches on the sidewalls. The first niche in each sidewall is deeper than the rest. While the deeper niches are around 1.6m deep, the rest are 0.9m. There are no niches on the back wall. Instead, to the right of the shrine is a door leading to the next cave, J26, while there is a plain cell to the left of the shrine. It is about 2.3m by 1.85 m. It is now closed with a wooden door.
The shrine doorway has four sakhas, of which the second sakhā is stambha sakha, while the rest are plain. The stambha sakha is similar to that in J19. There are two steps with a hastihasta and a chandrašila. The door fittings are in the form of a groove in a squarish projection on each side, both on the floor and the ceiling of the door.
The shrine is 2.75m by 2.5m with the main icon on the back wall.
Sculptures
Outside the cave, to the left, is a seated Jina figure within a pavilion and a four-armed goddess. The figure in the pavilion is destroyed, though a part of pavilion is intact. It has a pilaster on the left and a phamsaņā roof with a kalasa top. On each tier of the phamsaņā roof are alpanāsis. A chauri bearer is also partially preserved. The figure of the goddess is very damaged.
Of the three figures of seated Jinas on the façade, the central Jina is Parsvanatha and is larger. All three are seated in ardhapadmāsana. While the side Jinas are seated on a double lotus on a throne, Parsvanātha is seated on a cushion placed on the throne. On the throne hangs a cloth, which is spread over the cushion and the lotus. While the Jinas on the sides have triple chhatras, Parsvanātha has just a seven-hooded snake above the head. There are no attendants in case of the side Jinas, while Parśvanātha is flanked by a chauri bearer and a flying figure. Between the thrones of Parávanātha and the Jina figure to the right, there are four seated devotees, of which one is turned to the right Jina and three devotees are turned to Parsvanatha.
