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186
Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India
and with her vahana, swan near her feet. On the stambha śākhā, there is male figure on the right jamb and a couple on the left jamb. Of these, the male figures stand with hands in añjali mudra, while the female in the couple has right hand in a sort of varada mudra and left hand on the hip. The males have beards and hair tied in large buns. They appear to be important devotees or donors as there is an inscription below each figure (Plates 124 & 125). All the figures are very elaborately decked. Above the male on the outermost sakha, on the left jamb, there is a small figure of Sarvanubhuti, seated in mahārājalilasana and holding fruits in both his hands. On the cooresponding right jamb, there is a small four-armed figure of a goddess with ankusa in the upper right hand, fruit in the lower left hand and the lower right hand held in abhaya. The object in the upper left hand is not clear, but seems either to be a pasa or a khatvanga. Her vahana, a swan is shown near her feet. She can be identified as the vidyadevi Mahamanasi or Sarasvati. Below the figures on the outer three sakhas are three compartments. The central compartment has a figure of Sarvanubhuti on the left and a male in a dancing posture on the right jamb, while there are lozenges in the other compartments and half lozenge below the figures on other two sakhas. The chandraśila on the floor is unusual. It has plain a chandraśila flanked by an elephant, shown lying down on the floor. The uttaranga carries five pieces of khura type moulding. underside of each of which is carved with a lotus. Above each piece is a projected niche interspersed with niches in the recesses, five projected niches and four recessed niches in total. Each of the projected niches has seven compartments with a figure of a female or corpulent male in the central compartment and pilasters in the side ones. The exception is the central niche, which has two divisions in the central compartment depicting a seated male in añjali mudra to the right and a seated couple in anjali mudra to the left and dancing figures of females in the side compartments. These figures appear to correspond with the similar devotee figures on the pedya of the stambha sakha and confirms the inference that they most probably are donor figures. The niches in the recesses have a single compartment each with a lozenge. There is a seated figure of a Jina on the lintel.
The shrine is 3.57m wide along the back and 2.64m at the front. It is 3.87m deep on the right and 3.75m on the left. The ceiling is 2.42m high. There is a throne with rounded top on the back wall, carved of the rock in situ. It is completely relieved from the back wall and the ceiling. Thus, there is a pradakṣinapatha around the throne. On the throne is a bench, about 0.5m wide and 0.37m high.
Next to this cave is a plain excavation. It is 4.3m by 3.32m and the ceiling is 2.2m high. It has no significant features.
Cave VII
This cave has a verandah, a hall and a shrine (Fig. 58a). A flight of two-step leads to the verandah. While other caves on the site are placed at a little higher level, the floor level of this cave is almost the same as the ground in front of the cave. The verandah is 6.35m wide along the back and about 5.55m at the front. It is 1.5m deep on the right and 1.33m on the left. The ceiling is 2.5m high. The verandah is enclosed by a low wall with an opening in the centre. The front of the wall has few mouldings of a bhitta, plain portion, and square moulding decorated with lozenges in compartments. Inside, there is an
