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Jaina Temples of Western India
4. The ceilings lack in varieties and ornamenta- The rathikās as well as the flanking niches contain
tions. The ribs of the gajatālu are shorter and diamonds rather than the images of goddesses. The widely spaced.
caitya-arches forming the lattice ornament of the 5. The sculptures become slender and lifeless. Sikhara are carved in very shallow relief. T
frame of the sanctum is no doubt ornate, but the The Sambhavanatha temple at Kumbharia is a stambhafakha being treated as pillar-shaft looks unsmall temple comprising only a sanctum, a gūdha- pleasant (Fig. 115). The sculptures of the jambs mandapa and a raigamandapa, the whole being surrou- are also very ugly. The trifakha doorframe of the nded by a prākāra. Although it has some features gadhamaydapa (Fig. 114) is more ornate than that in common with the Lünavasahi at Abu, its simple noticed in the sanctum but depicts Sarvänubhüti plan and elevation, and the little ornamentation and Ambika in the reverse order on the doorsill. noticed here and there mark a definite decline in the The doorframe carries a band of bead-and-real style of the temple-architecture. Its tryaniga sanctum motif, which is a rare representation in the Jaina and duyariga gadhamandapa have a simple and plain temples of Gujarat The domical ceiling (Fig. 116) wall, and lack even the koņikās between the angas of the gūdhamandapa is undoubtedly perfect and and the bharani above the jangha (Fig. 111), which well-carved, but the ribs of the gajatalus being are so conspicuous in the earlier temples. The Sikhara shorter and widely spaced are not good looking. The (Fig. 110) of the sanctum carrying two rows of architraves supporting the dome show saw-tooth frigas and urahisigas and minor turrets like pratya. pattern, which is a popular motif of this period. rigas, tilakas and balcony models is perfect, but the The mukhamandapa and the rangamanda pa, which minute and complicated caitya-arches forming its have always been the hub of the main artistic lattice ornament look quite unpleasant. All the activity, possess plain square pillars and ceilings pillars are simple and belong to the octagonal and are unattractive. The mukhamanda pa has only type and the ceilings are domical and plain three bays, and the khattakas, which are an essenHowever, the trišākha (Fig. 112) northern doorf- tial part of this mandapa, are conspicuous by rame of the gūdhamandapa and the pilasters flanking their absence. it and those in the lateral porches are tastefully carved and are by no means inferior to those seen in The Mahāvira temple at Kanthkot is the last the earlier temples. The temple is also characterised Jaina temple of the present survey. It consists by two individual features: (1) the inner wall of of only three compartments, viz. sanctum, gidhathe güdhamandapa contains many small sculptured mandapa and raigamandapa. Unlike the two pre. niches; (ii) the rangamandapa shares its pitha with ceding temples of this phase, the Iryanga sanctum the sanctum and gūdhamandapa and hence rests (Figs. 117-18) and gudhamandapa of this temple on the same floor level as do the other compart- carry all the essential elements of plan and ele. ments, although it is usually disposed on a lower
vation which a developed and ornate Jaina temple floor level
possesses. Its ceilings (Fig. 119) and saptašākha
doorframe too are elaborately carved. But the The Jaina temple at Miani (Fig. 113) shows five features enumerated obove only let the style
in the style and is erected in a very go far off. In addition to these, there are some haphazard manner. The tryanga sanctum and other features which are also indicative of the gūdhamandapa here too do not have the konikās, and same fact. The first and foremost among these is their angas display only slight projections. The that the kalata of the vedibandha is over-burdened pitha is very low and contains torus instead of the with beaded garland-and-rosette design. This usual karpikā. The mandovara is quite plain; its becomes a dominant feature of this member in the bhadra-niches are small and are crowned by very temples of the subsequent centuries. Secondly, the short udgamas. The Sikhara is squat and heavy. varandika consists of only two members. Thirdly. The rathikas at the base of the Sikhara are flanked the shaft of the pillars, which are all of the plain by small niches instead of the usual balcony models. square type, lacks even the sixteen-sided section.
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