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Description and Chronology of Caves
147 Ambika's right is the standing figure of Brāhmaṇa with beard, holding a chhatra in right hand and conch in the left hand and wearing a sacred thread and lower garment (Plate 96).
3. Sarvānubhuti: 1.2m by 0.81m
The figure is shown seated on an elephant in a clumsy posture with both his feet kept on the back of the elephant and both hands kept near the knees. The objects in both the hands are broken, but seem to be some fruit. He is pot-bellied and has a round halo behind the head. He wears an sacred thread and a crown (Fig. 44c). His facial features are not clear. There is a tree carved on the wall above his head, in a very low relief like the tree above Ambika. The elephant sits in profile (Plate 96).
The niche on the back wall was perhaps used by the Jainas to install a loose icon as indicated by a small groove on each side at the upper end. There is another similar groove on the right upper end of the Jina panel. Thus, these three smooth grooves on the back wall, one at the each end and one in the middle were perhaps used for hanging garlands or some similar purpose.
Paintings
There are traces of plaster all over the cave. In the hall and on the images are traces of paint, mainly red. On the Jina image, near the right knee can be seen yellow paint. Perhaps a cushion was painted in the space between the legs of the Jina and the throne. In the left corner of the main cell, near the bearded figure in Ambika's panel, can be seen eight circles in a vertical line, painted in red. On the right sidewall of the verandah are traces of squares painted in red. The paintings are crude and simple and appear to be contemporary to the Jaina icons.
Date
The conversion of this early Buddhist cave to Jainism is dated to the early medieval period' on the basis of the style of the sculptures and the fact that it certainly cannot date from the Buddhist period at the site (Del Bonta 1976-77). The sculptures are very crude and cannot be used for comparison. The asana of the Jina is neither ardha nor full padmāsana. However, the absence of srivatsa, occurrence of simple parikara, the type of throne as at Ellora and the representation of only Sarvānubhūti-Ambikā in the cave speak of the relation with Ellora. The only difference is in the style of depicting the chauri bearers. While at Ellora, the chauri bearers 'emerge' from behind the throne back, here they are shown in a very small size, above the shoulders of the Jina. Thus, the icons can be dated possibly in the first half of the 10th century CE
PATNE, CHALISGAON TALUKA, JALGAON DISTRICT (20° 30'N; 74° 25'E)
The village of Patne lies about 16 km southwest of Chalisgaon town, at the entrance to one of the chief passes through the Satmala hills. The hill fort of Kanhar overhangs the eastern side of Patne village. On the western side of the fort, three caves have been
