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Jaina Temples of Western India
square pillars which support on architraves a corrugated eave-cornice and a series of doublecurved eave-cornices. Between the eave-cornices intervene various decorative belts, bharani with drooping foliage, and sculptural forms. The mandapa is roofed by a samvarana which, in the interior, is supported by ten octagonal type of pillars, eight of which form an octagon. The pillars resting on the asanapaṭṭa have a square base; their shaft is octagonal below and circular above, the latter being surmounted by a band of kirttimukhas spewing chains which are fastened below by a band of diamonds and beads; and the capital has a doublecourse round bharani of karnika and padma, topped by four-armed double-roll brackets. The wall above the balustrade is now closed, but originally it was either open or encased with perforated stone grilles.
Central Hall
This is a square pillared maṇḍapa having its roof supported by twelve pillars. The pillars are so disposed as to form a square nave in the centre and an aisle on its each side. Ten of these pillars are of the octagonal type, and two belong to the square order. There is no partition wall between this mandapa and the one in front of the eastern shrine. On the west it is enclosed by a balustraded wall which is similar to that seen in the mandapa of the eastern shrine, but here the asanapatta is adorned with kiritimukhas and bells. Besides, the offsets of the vedikā here carry only diamond-shaped rosettes. It has a domical roof over the nave, while at each corner it is roofed by a samvaraṇā.
The engress to this maṇḍapa is obtained from the west through a porch (Fig. 109) which is landed up by a flight of four steps cut across its basement, which consists of a khura, kumbha decorated with half diamonds, kalasa, antarapatra, and kapota adorned wi h caitya-arch pattern and underlined with leaves. Rectangular on plan the porch consists of two pillars and two pilassers and has a ceiling supported on a rectangular frame of architraves. Its door as well as other parts are coated with white lime. It is shaded by a corrugated eave-cornice. Since the porch does not possess its independent roof, the samvarana of the mandapa is extended over it with a
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gable end on the front. The gable displays a sculpture of lalitasana goddess Cakresvari with attendant figures and some other divine figures. These sculptures are placed in a five-cusped arch which issues from the mouth of a makara represented on either end.
North and South Shrines
Each of these shrines is in the form of a pillared mandapa, the central area of which is almost filled with a monument of solid masonry. The monument on the north has a square base and is called Aṣṭāpada, the fabled mountain Meru or Sumeru, while that on the south is circular on plan and is named Sammeta Šikhara, that is Mt. Parávanatha in Bihar. Measuring about 386 ft. from door to door, each shrine is entered from all the four sides; three of these on the outer sides are led through a porch, while the fourth is obtained from the central hall. Their duyanga plan displays bhadra and karna, each anga being broken into several planes. The pitha and mandovara (Fig. 108) are like those seen in the east shrine, but the bhadra in the south shrine is enclosed above the pitha by a short balustrade. This balustrade consists of a rājasenaka, a vedikā and an asanpaṭṭa. The rajasenaka is decorated with diamond-and-double volute pattern. The vedika is divided into upright posts alternating with depressed slabs and carries sculptured niches at ends of the corners. The asanapaṭṭa is plain. On the asanapaṭṭa are put up pillars which support on architraves an overhanging corrugated eavecornice. The pillars consist of only shaft and capital. The shaft is octagonal at the base, sixteen
sided in the middle and circular on the top, the last one being surmounted by a band of kirttimukhas spewing chains which are secured below by a band of diamonds and beads. The capital has a doublecourse round bharani of karnika and padma, surmounted by doube-roll brackets. The side face of each bracket is carved with a half kirttimukha. Like the other mandapas, the wall here also is now closed up. The wall obove the eave-cornice on the bhadra and the karna is further carried up, but it is repaired beyond recognition.
Articulated at the bhadra each porch is rectangular on plan and is approached by a flight of
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