Jaina Rock Cut Caves In Western India Part 01

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

Page 68

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Jaina Rock-cut Caves in Western India of the Saivite cave, locally known as Hattikhana cave and to the east of the muchdestroyed Saivite cave is situated the Jaina cave. This cave has been excavated on the slope of a very low hill. As no scarp or cliff is available, all the caves at the site are cut from the top (Plate 13).
These caves were first described by Burgess along with the caves at Kharosa and Dharashiva. The ground plans of all the caves were provided (1878: 49-52, Plate XXXVII). All the later accounts of the caves at this site are the repetitions of earlier description (Fergusson and Burgess 1880: 425, Naik 1947: 368).
Description
The Jaina cave faces northeast. It has an open court and three excavations or mandapas along three sides. The side excavations consist of a verandah and a shrine, while the main excavation at the back, has a large verandah and three shrines in a row, against its back wall (Fig. Sa).
Three steps lead down to the court, which is open to sky. In the left corner of the front side of the court is another entrance to the court. It is in the form of a passage, around 2.3m long and 0.8m to 0.6m wide. The court is 8.3m wide, 9.5m deep on the right side and 8.2m deep on the left side.
On the front side of the court are two free-standing elephants, flanking the steps (Plate 14). The elephant to right is 2.6m to 2.9m long, 1.4m wide in the front and 1.76m wide in the back and is 2.1m high. The tail is gone, while its trunk touches the ground. There is a round groove in the place of the eye. The elephant to left is 2.6m long, 0.4m wide and 1.83m high. This elephant is unfinished, being not fully relieved from the rock behind. The rock between the legs has not been removed and a part of the trunk is left unattached on the floor, as the head is partially broken.
In the centre of the court is a portion of rock left, with square base and slightly roundish top Plate 14). The base is approximately 2.02m on the front, 1.9m on the back, 1.8m on the right and approximately 1.98m on the left. The base is 0.13m high, while the rounded top is around 0.22m high. It is difficult to conjecture the purpose of this structure, but possibly it was used to keep a chaumukha or install a manastambha.
Right Excavation
It has a half-enclosed verandah and a shrine in the back. The verandah is 7.8m by 1.52m. The ceiling is 2.1m high. There are two pillars and two pilasters in the front. These are much damaged, but each had a square shaft on a plain square base and plain square bracket. There is a trace of a wall between the pillar and the pilaster on each side.
In the back wall of the verandah is a shrine. The doorway leading to the shrine is 1.34m long and 0.68m wide and has two plain sakhas. The shrine is 2.23m wide and 2.4m deep. The ceiling is 1.9m high. On the back wall is carved a seated Jina. Both the image and the shrine are at present in bad shape due to weathering of the rock and accumulated water.