Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

Author(s): Viraj Shah
Publisher: Agam Kala Prakashan

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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India 16. Seated Jina: 0.48m by 0.37m
This figure is seated in ardhapadmāsana and dhyāna mudrā with śrivatsa and triple chhatra with a kalasa on the top. There is a seated devotee figure flanking the Jina figure. Below him is a wheel in the centre, flanked by two devotees on each side. To the right of the head of the Jina is an inscription in old Devanagari, which is not very clear.
Apart from these, there are two more loose icons in the second cell to the right of the shrine. These icons are of Tukarama and Rukmini. They are kept on a platform built in the right wall of the cell. The platform is 1.55m long, 1.05m wide and 0.4m high. The icon of Tukarama is seated in ardhapadmāsana. He plays a tanapurā type string instrument with the right hand. His left hand is on the thigh. He is pot-bellied. To his right is a smaller standing figure of Rukmini with hands akimbo. She wears a saree in the Mahārashtrian way. Both these icons have very crude features. They are painted black and are still being worshipped. These two icons are recent additions and can be dated to the 18th or 19th century CE
Paintings
On the bracket of the second pillar from the back wall of the hall, in the right row of the inner square, are remains of a painting. It is on the eastern face of the pillar. It shows a seated Jina. The head of the figure is destroyed (Plate 10). The figure is painted in black against yellow background. There is no trace of a garment. No other details are depicted. There are some designs in the background, but not very clear.
On the stone beam between the above pillar and the one to its north are traces of a flower. There are two half circles. The inner one is done in red, while the middle one is painted in white. On the outer circle are lines done in black.
There are traces of plaster and paint on some parts of the ceiling.
Cave III
Cave III is to the east of Cave II. It is very similar to Cave II, but smaller in dimensions. It also has a half-enclosed court, verandah, hall and shrine (Fig.5)
The court does not have a doorway as in Cave II, instead has 1.2m wide opening. The court is 16.2m wide along backside and 16.1m along front side. It is 11m deep along the right side and 10.7m along the left side. In front of the opening are fourteen steps leading to the verandah. Most of the steps have disappeared as the rock has disintegrated. Only some of the upper steps remain. The portion in front of steps is at the ground level, while the court on the each side of the steps is raised up to 1.3m. In the left end of the court is a plain room measuring 5.7m by 2.55m.
The verandah is 2.7m high from the ground level and 1.4m from the raised court. It is 18m wide and 2.6m deep. It has six pillars and two pilasters in front. But all, except the left pilaster, are gone. Only some portion of the other pilasters hangs from the ceiling. All the shafts have been reconstructed. All the pillars were extant when Burgess visited the site for he has reported that the verandah had six "plain octagonal columns with