Jaina Temples of Western India

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

Page 67

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Jalna Temples of Western India
The pilasters are five-faceted. Their base and domical ceiling on an octagonal frame of archicapital are similar to those of the pillars, but the traves. The base of the pilasters consists of a khura, bharani is unfluted here. Below, the shaft bears a kumbha decorated with convex-sided half diamonds, framed figure of four-armed standing goddess, kalafa, antarapatra and kapota. The shaft of the while above, it successively carries four figures of four pilasters consists of two parts, each showing, four-armed lalitä sana goddesses on the central facet from bottom to top, decorations of kirttimukha or and figures of female attendants on the side ones. ardhapadma in semi-circle, ghatapallava, foliate The outer face of the shaft displays a female cauri- scrolls, leaves, saw-tooth pattern, diamonds alterbearer below and Maladharas above. The shaft is nating with beads, and kirttimukha. The shaft of surmounted by a ghatapallava.
the four other pilasters is octagonal at the base, The architraves are divided into two fasciae, sixteen-sided in the middle and circular on the top. the lower being decorated with a band of lotus The capital is made up of a double-course round scrolls issuing from the mouth of a kirttimukha bharani of karņika and padma, surmounted by kicaka, carved in the centre and the upper representing a kiritimukha or gajamunda brackets. The architraves strip of diamonds. In the centre of their underside are similar to those found in the porch. A square is carved in low relief a lotus medallion having two block from each pilaster, carved with two elephants rows of petals.
with their trunks having upraised, introduces the Of the domical ceiling in the south porch, only
dome which is completed in eleven courses, the the bottom octagonal course is original. Its inner
first being sixteen-sided and the rest, circular. The face depicts ardhapadma motif on the corner slabs
first course is adorned with diamonds. The second and geese, kirttimukhas, ardhapadma pattern or
represents ardhapadma pattern in semi-circles. The figures of elephants and horse-riders on the cardi
third is a plain padma. The fourth also is padma but nal ones, while its underside at each corner shows
contains sixteen circular pendants. The remaia vigorous kirttimukha.
ning courses are plain padmas. The ceiling slab is
carved with a full-blown lotus flower having one The domical ceiling in the north porch is com
row of petals and two rows of petal-and-buds. Each posed of seven courses, the first being octagonal
corner left at the base of the dome is boldly reliand the rest, circular. The inner face of the first
eved with a large figure of kirttimukha. course is carved with kirttimukhas, while its underside at each corner represents a bold kirttimukha. At present the gūdham andapa contains two imThe second is plain. The third is a plain padma. ages in white marble of Pārsvanätha standing in The fourth and fifth are gajatālus, each topped by kāyotsargamudra. Both were installed in 1351 A. D. a band of diamonds and beads. The sixth is a Besides, there are two sculptures of Srävakas and plain padma. The seventh pertains to twelve-foil three sculptures of Srāvikās installed in 1341 kola. The ceiling slab shows incision of three con- A. D. centric circles.
Mukhamaņdapa The doorframes of the porches (Fig. 5) are very similar to each other and correspond to the eastern
Divided into nine bays it is landed up from the door of the gūdhamandapa, but Ambikā on the udum
rangamandapa by three stairways, each comprising bara is replaced by Cakreśvari and the standing
three steps. Flanking the stairways are elephants goddesses on the lower part of the jambs of the facing towards inner side. Below each stairway is south porch depict Rohiņi and Mänasi, and those
a candrašila which consists of an ardhacandra tied of the north porch represent Vairogya and Mānasi.
on either end with Sankha and gagāraka and flanked The uttaranga in both the porches is modern.
in turn by a talarūpaka. The front three bays to The roof, now plastered up, has a corrugated
wards the rangamandapa are supported by the nave eave-cornice,
pillars of the rangamandapa. The interior of the gūdhamand apa is square; its Its pitha (cf. Fig. 4) on the lateral sides consists wall is reinforced by eight pilasters supporting a of a bhitta decorated with half diamonds, a deep
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