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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India nudity, though the Jina is shown seated in padmāsana (Plate 183). No other seated Jina at the present site or other site is shown in this fashion. Thus, by 13th-14th century CE, a conscious attempt was made by the Digambaras to distinguish their icons from those of the Svetāmbaras, probably due to enhanced and influential position of Svetāmbaras in this region.
PAINTINGS
A large number of caves at Ambejogai, Daulatabad, Ankai-Tankai, Ellora and Pandu Lena have traces of thick white plaster and occasionally remains of crude paintings in form of geometric designs. These were executed at a much later date, in around 18th century, probably as part of renovation activities of Ahalyabai Holkar. The original paintings are extant in Cave II at Dharashiva, some of the large lower caves and J30 at Ellora. At Dharashiva, only a small portion of painting remains, which depicts a finely executed figure of seated Jina, stylistically similar to Ajanta paintings. A similar portion of painting depicting a seated figure of Jina in J30 at Ellora demonstrates the simple style of 13th century CE with minimum colours and modeling. The lower caves at Ellora are the only examples of the caves painted profusely. In fact, with the exception of earlier caves at Ajanta, no other cave, Buddhist or Brahmanical, appears to have been painted so thoroughly. These paintings stylistically form a stage between highly modelled style of Ajanta and very linear, angular style of the medieval period. With the most panels depicting the semi-divine beings represented as devotees and forming an integral part of the sculptural composition of the caves, the graphic art, by this time appears to have been used as supplementary to the plastic art.
SUMMARY
The regional and spatial art idioms as well as the intra-site relationships are very clear from the above account. The iconographic features and preferences of the early three sites in the Marathwada region are common. The sites immediately following Ellora, such as Mangi Tungi I, are clearly influenced by its predecessor. The later caves, such as Tringalwadi and Ankai show common architectural features, while iconographic trends at all the caves follow similar norms. The later caves follow common stylistic trends also, such as three lines shown on the stomach of all the standing Jina icons at Anjaneri and Ankai, including the loose icons at the later site and the hair shown in three curls on the each shoulder of the Jina figures at Mohida, Ankai and Mangi hill. In spite of apparent close relationships between the caves at a particular point of time, each site displays individual peculiarities in terms of architectural, iconographic or stylistic norms.
These caves clearly follow the contemporary regional architectural and stylistic trends. They form an integral part of the general pattern of the development of rock-cut architecture of the region exemplified by the caves of Brahmanical and Buddhist sects. Except a few features, shared probably by the general exchange of ideas, each of these caves follows regional art idiom. Thus, there is nothing 'Jaina' about any of these caves except the icons. It is true that a general pattern of iconographic norms, noticed at the pan-Indian level, is followed here and a number of iconographic features of these caves
