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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India appear in J19A, J20A and also J18, the figures in the present cave occupy very important positions such as the shrine and appear in imposing size and are also in developed form. The execution of sculptures is very crude here. It may not necessarily indicate the 'degeneration' of art, but points out the fact that the cave interior was finished in haste. It is clear from the fact that the exterior is left unfinished and an attempt has been made to finish the interior somehow. A unique feature is the presence of mithuna figures in some of the icons, such as Chakresvari and Jina figures in the gopura and goddess figures on the pilaster of the main verandah.
J4, the unfinished cave, is perhaps the last cave. It shares a few features with Chhota Kailasa and appears to have been started soon after it.
Iconographic trends
The iconographic programme of all the caves with Sarvanubhuti-Ambika, Kamatha's attack on Parsvanatha-Penance of Bahubali and Jina figures, follows a pattern, which was perhaps introduced at Badami-Aihole in late 6th-early 7th century CE. The placements of these figures vary, more due to convenience or the available space than due to change in iconographic norms. The caves with well-defined verandah have icons of SarvanubhutiAmbika in the verandah ends, while in other cases they are carved on the back wall of the hall. The only exceptions are J12 and J26. In J12, the Sarvanubhuti-Ambika figures are carved on the sidewalls of the hall, near the entrance. The Parsvanatha-Bahubali panels are shifted to the back wall and the large space of sidewalls of the hall is used for carving the large images of Jinas. No other small cave has such large Jina figures. This was done in imitation of J18. Except J18, the panels of Parsvanatha-Bahubali are placed on the sidewalls of the halls in deep niches. The change in the placement was made perhaps due to lack of space for elaborate panels on the back walls of the halls, which in turn, indicates the significance of these panels and an attempt to carve them as elaborately as possible.
One change in the iconographic norms is, however, noticeable. In earlier examples, a single pair of Sarvanubhuti-Ambika is provided in the cave. But later on, each icon is given a separate pair of Sarvanubhuti-Ambika. The earliest such example on the site are perhaps the icons on the sidewalls of the shrine in J19. It is not, however, sure whether it was originally planned to have a yakṣa-yaksi pair or not. Usually, these figures are carved on the sides of the throne. But in J19, these are carved below the throne, perhaps because it was an afterthought to have an individual pair of yakṣa-yakṣi. There is no space available on the side of the throne near the back wall of the shrine, while on the other side the painting had to be damaged to carve these figures. Therefore, they are depicted below the throne. The trend becomes popular in J10, Ji4, J21 and J25. All the Jina figures in the bottom tier in J21 have individual pair of yaksa-yaksi, though not yet distinguished.
The panels of Parsvanatha-Bahubali ir. almost all the caves clearly suggest the influence from the Karnataka region, mainly Badami-Aihole. It would be interesting to compare the Parsvanatha panel depicting the scene of Kamatha's attack, with the representations from the other parts of the country. The earliest panel is from Bihar, now kept in the Indian Museum, Kolkata (Sivaramamurti 1983: Plate 38, 39). It is dated to 5th
