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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India The hall is irregular and not properly squared. It is 6.6m wide at the back and 7.5m wide in the front. It is around 6m deep along the right and 5.1m deep along the left. The left wall is not straight. At the distance of about 3m from the front wall, it turns inside the hall and again slants towards the backwall. The height of the ceiling is not uniform, but it is about 2.25m high. The portion of ceiling from the pillars to the back wall is lower.
In the middle of the hall, there are two very irregular pillars, each with a square base, square shaft and rounded brackets. The right pillar has a triangular plate on the each face of the base. The pillars are very roughly blocked out. The lower portion of the base, the upper part of the shaft and the brackets of the right pillar are rough, while the rest of the pillar is made smooth. The left pillar is rough throughout. The walls of the hall are covered with sculptures.
One of the goddesses and a figure of Gaṇeśa on the left sidewall are now worshipped by the local people, especially women. Therefore, these two icons have been painted and clothed, while all the other icons are numbered. A platform is built in front of these two icons, which is used for keeping various articles like lamps, oil, incense etc. The cave has been whitewashed. Interestingly, even the Jainas have claimed the site. They have tiled the floor in front of main icon for around 1.5m from the back wall and enclosed the main icon by an iron gate, which is kept locked. A pathway, from the doorway to the front of the iron gate, is also tiled.
To the south of the cave is a water cistern. There are fourteen miniature steps cut in the rock to reach the cistern. There are smail grooves corresponding to the steps to hold on while climbing. The access is slightly difficult.
There are two miniature staircases in front of the cave.
Sculptures
Most of the icons are in the hall or shrine. These are mostly Jina figures depicted as single figure, tritirthika, panchatirthika and chauvisi. The main icon is of eighth tirthankara Chandraprabha. Among others are icons of Ambika, Sarvanubuti, Sarasvati, Gaṇeśa and Kshetrapala-Bhairava.
1. Seated Jina: 0.34m by 0.27m
This crudely made figure is seated in padmasana in a niche, which is pointed at the
top.
2. Standing Jina: 0.28m by 0.13m.
This figure is also crudely made and is in a niche similar to that of the previous figure.
3. Kshetrapala/Bhairava: 0.41m by 0.25m.
The figure of Kshetrapala stands in tribhanga, is nude and four-armed. In the right upper hand is a damaru, while the objects in the rest of the hands are not clear.
4. Seated Jina: 0.26m by 0.22m.
This figure is also in a niche similar to those of the previous Jinas.
