Jaina Temples of Western India

Author(s): Harihar Singh
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 56

Geography and the Religious sites
39
east by the gorges of the valley and concealed from the north by a low ridge it is approached through a narrow passage only from the northwest. It is enclosed on the east, north and west by a substa- ntial rampart, the walls of which are carried up the summit of the mountain where is a fortified citadel, now entirely deserted but for wild beasts, 116
walls of which are built of massive stone blocks repaired at many places by smaller stones. On the hill stand two temples of archaeological interest, viz. the Solathamba and the Sürya temple. The Solathambā is a Jaina temple of our period. Probably it derived its present name from the number of pillars in the rangamandapa, comprising sixteen in all.
Ghumli was the seat of the Jethavas from the Bhadreshwar-It is a small village on the sea-coast, 10th to the 14th century A. D.117 Once Ghumli lying about 32 miles southwest of Gandhidham and distinguished as a capital city in the peninsula, but 21 miles from Anjar Railway Station in the Kutch now it is a wreck. However, there are some build. district of Gujarat. It is identified with Bhadravati ings, which bespeak of the grandeur of the old city. of the Mahābhārata; it was the capital city of The first and foremost among these is the Nava- Yuvanālva and here was caught the Afvamedha lakhā temple, a name indicative of the fact that horse of the Pandavas.1 26 Writing the history of the building costs nine lakhs. Among other edifices the city of Bhadravati Burgess suggests that when are to be included the Ganapati temple, Jethāni the Solanki Rajapūtas of Bhänagadha conquered Vāva, Ramapola and Vaniävasi, the last one being this region, they changed the name of the city to a Jaina temple. The Vaniāvasi is the only build- Bhadreshwar.127 Sarvånandasiri, who gives a vivid ing at Ghumli which comes under the survey of the
picture of this city, also calls it Bhadreshwar. 128 present work. Unfortunately the temple is wholly gone; only its photographic record is available. During the historical period, however, the city
of Bhadreshwar did not come into prominence until Kanthkot--It is situated 31 miles from Bhachau the time of the Solankis. Since Bhadreshwar was in the Kutch district of Gujarat. According to an important military base, Bhima built a 'fort Shah, Kanthkot probably derived its present name there. 129 When this fort was destroyed by Pithafrom Kanthadanātha, the name of a Yogi, who deva of Päradega, Jagadū built a new one. 130 lived there in the days gone by. 118 In the Pra- Apart from the military base, it was an important bandhacintamani it is referred to as Kanthadurga, 119 centre of trade and commerce. Bhadreshwar was while in the Jagadīcarita it is mentioned as Kanthā- also a sea-port, and Jagadū accumulated much nagari. 1 20 It is also taken to be the same as wealth from this port by importing and exporting Kanbhkot of the Muhammadan writings, described commodities to the distant lands.181 It was of as a dependency of Kutch.121
course the suitable economic condition of the city Kantbkot seems to be a highly protected strong
that Sola, the father of Jagadū, migrated to this hold during the Caulukya period, as Mülarāja I
place from Kanthkot.193
Place took shelter here when he was conjointly attacked The association of the Jainas with Bhadrāvati is by the kings of Sapädalaksa and Tilangadeśa, 122 traced to the Vira Nirvāṇa era 23 when Devacandra When Bhima I found it difficult to check the built a temple to Pärsvanātha in the centre of the Muslim advance, he removed his family to Kanth- city.183 But no remains of this temple exist now. kot.123 At this place also lived the ancestors of
The site of this ancient city extends to the east Jagadū,124 who were rich Srimali Vaniks of
of the present village, but most of the area has been Rajasthan. But this important military strong
dug over for building stone. What now remains hold is now deserted like anything, and instead of
are the Jaina temple, the pillars and part of the rich merchants and traders there are living poors
dome of the Siva temple of Duda, the Väva close with their huts called 'darabäras'. 125
by it, two mosques and a fragment of the temple of There is an old fort on the top of an isolated Asāpuri,134 Of these the Jaina temple alone comes rocky hill about three miles in circumference, the under the purview of the present study.