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Faina Temples of Western India
Both these ceilings are raised up by squat pillars. stone, is an old one. Square on plan it is domical. The spaces between these pillars are filled with It consists of five circular courses. The first is carved panels. The panels are divided into two karņadardarikā incised with lotus petals. The horizontal belts, the lower showing a row of second is gajatālu. The third, fourth and fifth elephants and the upper displaying different relief pertain to eight-foil, quatrefoil and circular kolas carvings. The southern panel in the ceiling to respectively. From the second course project out wards the courtyard represents the story of Ardra. four brackets of Vidyadharas, each supporting a kumāra who imparted right knowledge to an bracket figure of Apsara, the stele of which is tenoelephant. At one end of this scene is Mahavira ned into the quatrefoil kola. Built of white marble standing in käyotsarga posture, and on the other is all these bracket figures seem to be added later. a man fighting with a lion.4 2 The panel on the Balanaka corresponding north side depicts two Acäryas with Śrävakas. The southern panel in the ceiling near
It was added in the 19th century and hence I the main entrance represents a Jaina monk with need not Srävakas, while the one on the corresponding north side depicts figures of horse-riders, elephants with
Hastisala drivers and pedestrians.
It is a rectangular walled structure with its At present each devakulska has an image of
f roof supported by six pillars. Above the plain padmāsana Jina worshipped as milanäyaka. Almost
plinth its wall shows mouldings of khura, kumbha all these images were installed in one or the other
decorated with half diamonds, kalaša, antarapatra,
and pattika carved with ardhapadma pattern. Then of the later repairs of the temple. But the moulded
follow two horizontal belts of perforated and blind pedestal and the parikaras are mostly old pieces. Thus the inscriptions engraved on these pedestals
stone grilles with a median band carved with saw
tooth pattern. On the top of the wall is another reveal the name of the Jina who is different from
band carved with foliate scrolls. The grilles are out the image now worshipped. This is more obvious in case of Pärsvanātha whose snake-canopy is still
into various geometrical patterns such as criss
cross, diamonds, stepped diamonds, chequer pattern preserved, but the Jina with his symbol, installed
and triangles. The vertical wall above the plinth later, is quite different.43
is broken up by pillars. The base of these pillars. The devakulikās are shaded towards the courtyard square in section, consists of a khura, kumbha adorned by a corrugated eave-cornice.
with half diamonds and a kumuda; their shaft is
square at the base, octagonal in the middle and The exterior wall of each devakulika is pañcaratha.
ulika is pañcaratha. circular on the top; and their capital consists of a In elevation it shows pitha, vedibandha, jangha, double-course round bharani of karnika and padma, varandika and roof. The plpha consists of a bhitta,
surmounted by four-armed kicaka-brackets. The jad yakumbha, karņika and chadyaki. The vedibandha
wall is shaded by a corrugated eave-cornice. The comprises a khura, kumbha decorated with half
part above the cornice is alloted to a figural belt, diamonds, kalaba, anatarapatra, and kapota adorned now plastered up. with caitya-arch pattern. The jarigha, divided into two registers by a plain fillet and also topped by
a T he hastišala is entered from all the four sides. similar fillet, is plain. The varandika has two From the west it is led through the balanaka, while kapotas interspersed with a deep fillet. The roof is elsewhere it is entered through a porch, At present, composed of six receding tiers and is crowned on only the west entrance is open. Each of the side the top by a fluted bell, a kalasa and a bijapüraka. porches has a flat roof resting on two pillars. The At the base of the roof, on the central råtha, is a pillars have only two members, viz. shaft and niche cantaining an image of padmāsana Jina. capital. The shaft has four sections, viz. square,
octagonal, sixteen-sided and circular. The capital The doorframe of the main entrance is modern, consists of a double-course round bharani of karpika but the small ceiling in its front, built of black and padma, and a four-armed double-roll bracket.
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