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Architectural and Iconographic Trends
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can be compared with examples from the other regions as there obviously was an intensive exchange of concepts and ideas. Still, as noticed above, there are some peculiar iconographic developments, unique to this region. Assimilation of some of the locally. important deities like Hanuman, Gaṇeśa and a few unidentifiable deities at Ankai point at the efforts made by the sect to attract local population. For the same reason in the earlier stage, the Buddha icon type is imitated.
The Jaina caves, with few exceptions of Brahmanical caves at Bhamachandra, Panhale Kaji, Anjaneri and some other sites, form the largest number of examples of later phase of cave-architecture, which appear to imitate structural temples in ditto.
The vast repertoire of paintings at Ellora forms an important evidence of intermediary phase between Ajanta and late medieval style.
Like Brahmanical or Buddhist caves of the region, Jaina caves are not very elaborate. The lower caves of Ellora, the caves at Ankai-Tankai, Cave II at Dharashiva and to some extent Tringalwadi cave, are ornamental, while most of the other caves are very small and crude with the emphasis on the icons rather than the architecture or the decoration of the cave. The caves are thus very 'functional', suggesting either the limited resources or very focused interests of the donors.
