Jaina Shrines In India

Author(s): O P Tandon
Publisher: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Vovernment of India

Page 37

20
Jaina Shrines in India
image of Parsvanatha made of black marble here even today. A significant point regarwhich was installed in 1860. ding the architecture of this temple is that its pinnacle is in the nagara style. The latter temple at Un has a combination of the features of the Paramara and Chalukya styles of architecture.
The Adinatha (Pl. VII) and Santinatha temples at Khajuraho are virtually the replicas of the Parsvanatha temple representing the nagara and Chalukya styles. Several categories of art of the Chandelas which have been defined by scholars, include, (a) the cult images made according to the fixed canonical principles, (b) sculptures comprising the Vidya-devis, Sasana-devatas (Yakshas and Yakshis) and Avarana devatas, Dikpalas and other titulary deities forming a subservient role. While the Santinatha temple is exclusively Jaina in concept, the Parsvanatha temple has an exterior head of Siva and peculiarly enough, the representation of a sura-sundari on one of the facades. The admixture of tantricism is apparent in the sculptural sequence of the Parsvanatha temple. Certain other divinities are also common to both the Jaina and Hindu faiths.
The Paramara zone of Jaina architecture consists of the temples built in the Chalukya style at Un in west Nirmar district. The temple faces north and has on its plan the sanctum, the antarala and the gudha mandapa connected with lateral ardha-mandapas, trik-mandapa and mukhachatushki. The architectural pattern conforms to the general Chalukya style of architectonic expression. The sanctum of the Un temple which measures 2.44 sq. mts and has a plain corbelled ceiling, contains the image of Santinatha, dated in the Vikrama year 1242 (A.D. 1185). Santinatha is the principal deity (mula nayaka). This image has now been removed to the Indore Museum. The only survival member is its pedestal in situ inside the
sanctum.
There is another Jaina temple resembling the Santinatha temple at Un. It is called Gwalesvara. Worship is being performed
Closely associated with the Paramara and Chalukya style Jaina temples, there is a Kalachuri phase found at Arang in Raipur district. There are many Jaina sculptures of 11th-12th centuries found around the old Jaina temple called the Bhanda-dewal. This temple belongs to the 11th century. It faces west and preserves only the sanctum with chiselled images. The sanctum is placed at a lower level and has some Digambara Jaina figures carved out of black basalt. These are identified with Santinatha, Kunthanatha and Aranatha on the basis of their lanchhanas. The chronology of the enshrined images may be shifted later by one or two
centuries.
Even during the Islamic rule, Jaina religious spirit could thrive due to its firm spiritual foundation and charitable inclinations of the laity who continued their building activities inspite of casual blows on their religious activities. During this period, some places like Sonagiri, Nainagiri, Pawagiri and Dronagiri in Central India became famous. Malwa, Gwalior and Bundelkhand continued to be important centres of Jaina architectures. In the otherwise iconographic monotony are to be deciphered a number of Sasana-devas, Kshatrapalas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras, besides such divinities as goddesses Sarasvati, Ambika, Padmavati, Chakresvari and others. It is remarkable that the Islamic pressure could neither suppress nor divert the religious spirit. The Gwalior fort has preserved some huge Tirthankara images which have been carved in stone. The royal patronage extended to the construc