Book Title: Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01
Author(s): Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan

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Page 154
________________ i28 Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India clear that J13, with its more favourable placement, must have been started a little earlier than J14, but the latter is not very far in time, as the adjustment made in J13 suggests. The floor of J16 is broken through the ceiling of J12. J6, which is outside the court of Indra Sabhi, must have been the next excavation. It was placed outside the court as no other spice was available within the court and the closest possible place to Indra Sabha was just outside it. Of the other caves, J24 is very similar to J19-J20 in size, number of pillars, number of chauri bearers for the shrine image and number as well as the placement of the icons. The major difference is that this cave has an antechamber with makara törana and does not have an elaborate façade. The mattavārana-kaksāsanas and also the shrine doorway are unfinished. In fact, the front portion of the cave is more finished and better worked thin the back portion. The icons of Sarvanubhuti-Ambika in the verandah ends and the scated Jinas in the front aisle of the hall are of fine workmanship, while the panels of Pārsvanātha-Bahubali and Jina figures in the back aisle are crude. Even the pilasters on the back wall are plain. The paintings are also not undertaken. The pillars are of the ivpes found both in J18 and J20. Thus, J24 seems to be the next excavation, followed by J23, just next to it. J23, with its small size, hall and shrine on the ground plan and number of icons, is very similar to the small caves in the court of Indra Sabha. 125, with its location, seems to be the next cave. It had to be excavated very close to J24 due to the contour of the hill. Therefore, it is placed higher than J24 to avoid breaking through it. For similar reason the usual kakşasanas could not be carved and the verandath had to be closed with a wall. The stair leading to the cave blocks the view of mattavarana of J24 partially. Thougn the present stair is modern, the original steps also must have occupied the same place. All these factors confirm the assumption that this cave is later than J24. This cave is very plain from outside, so the facade is enhanced by the icons of Jinas. The plan of the cave is also different in having a cell on each side of the shrine The cave is on the whole very plain and crude. The pillars are plain, the panels of Parsvanātha-Bahubali are very simple with minimum figures and the Jina figures are not finished. A number of icons in this cave are intrusions. J26 is excavated on the same rock face as J25, but is pushed back. This cave is similar to J24, though here, the hall is closed, the Jina figures on the sidewalls of central niches of the hall are absent and mattavarana-kaksāsanas are not carved. The pillars are stylistically similar to the pillars in J24. Thus, it seems that this cave followed J24. In fact, both J25 and J26 are almost contemporary, started soon after J24. The reason why J26 is pushed back is not just the contour of the hill, but also J25. As can be seen from the ground plan, the niches in the front aisle of the hall of J25 are rather deep, while other niches are much shallow. In fact, the central niches in all the caves are deeper than the rest. But in the case of J25, other niches were made shallow to avoid breaking through the verandah of J26. Similarly, the central niches in the hall of J26 are not as deep as their counterparts in J24 as well as J19-120. It was done to avoid the back wall cell of J25. Still, this cell has broken through the panel of Bahubali in J26, when it was being carved. Whether it was a mistake or purposely done is difficult to conjecture. Similarly, the niche on the right sidewall in the back aisle of J25 is not carved for the fear of breaking through J26, while the corresponding niche on the opposite wall is carved.

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