Jaina Shrines In India

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

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Dispersal of Shrines
PRAHĀRA
VIRĀDU CHAJJĀ
SIRĀVATI
BHARANI
URU-JANGHA
CHAJJI
JANGHA
MANCI
KEVĀLA
KALASA
KUMBHA
!!
KHURA
11
MANDOVARA
The temple art tradition continued to be prolific in Ranpur or Ranakpur in Mewar. The temple of Adinatha at Ranakpur (Pl. XII) is particularly important for its medieval architecture. It has, besides its usual elegance, a pillar inscription recording its
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construction in 1439 by Depaka, who had performed the said work at the instance of a pious Jaina Dharanaka. The inscription further mentions the patronage of Rana Kumbha to Jaina architecture which was almost a popular style of construction in west India which had been in favour with masons who contrived its execution without bias for any particular creed. The plan of the Yugadisvara or Adinatha temple shows obvious complexity but may be understood in an idiom which cannot be said to be cumbersome. The fine variety and multiplicity of forms are the salient features of this temple. The same type of temples are found among the famous Dilwara group of temples on Mount Abu. Built in 1459, a temple of Pärsvanatha at Dilwara excels the other temples in height and a comprehensive engraveur of figures. of Jaina deities.
The same kind of architecture developed during the period in the temple city on the Satrunjaya mountain near Palitana (Pl. XIII). The temples of this phase were built in the early part of the 17th century. Jaina temples of West India abound in with numerous bronze images and miniature paintings, specially in the vicinity of Dungarpur. Some of the metallic sculptures have inscriptions containing the names of sculptors. The names of many luminaries have been restored to history from these inscriptions, such as Lumba, Lepa, Natha and Mandana. The last mentioned imagemaker had also specialised in the construction of buildings. It is important that the temples contain a very large number of icons fulfilling the religious requirements. The Shole temple complex reveals a proliferation of the late classical period.