Jaina Temples of Western India

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

Page 97

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Falna Temples of Western India
gated eave-cornice, the soffit of which is adorned padma, each decorated with lotus petal-and-bud with a band of diamonds and beads. From each ornament. The circular ceiling-slab is relieved corner of the roof emerges an elephant carved with a full-blown lotus flower consisting of two wholly in the round. The elephants are vigorous rows of petals, the petals of the outer row being and have one of their front legs raised and suppor- alternated with buds. The door is of the singleted by a block of marble.
Sakha variety decorated with foliate scrolls which
issue from the raval of a Kinnar carved below. The The pillars of the south porch consist or only fakha is flanked on the outer side by a band of diatwo members, namely shaft and capital. The shaft
monds and beads. On the lower part of the falha is heptagonal in section, with cut off angles. It is stands a Pratihära accompanied on the outer side by divided into six horizontal belts, the first being the
a female caur7-bearer and on the inner side by a felongest, the second being next in length, and male carrying water jar. The doorsill is divided into the other having almost equal sizes. Each of
two registers. The lower register shows mouldings of these belts is clasped by miniature shrines. The
khura, jad yakumbha, karņika, antarapatra and fillet. shrines of the first belt contain images of Jinas
The upper one displays a semi-circular projection adseated in dhyanamudra, and those of the other belts
orned with stemmed lotus in the centre, a projecting carry diamonds. Besides, the first belt also displays
kirttimukha on each side of it,and a sculptured niche
1 mouldings of khura, kumbha decorated with half dia
on either extremity. The niche on proper right monds, kumuda, three narrow karnikas at intervals,
contains an image of four-armed lalitāsana male kapota and karşikā; the second has a kumuda and
divinity identifiable with Gomedha. The god holds three karnikās at intervals; and the fifth carries four
snakes in the upper hands, and varadamudra and projecting lambanas. The shaft is surmounted by a
fruit in the lower ones; he has eagle as his mount. band of saw-tooth motif. The capital has a double
The niche on proper left contains an image of fourcourse round bharaṇi of karnika and ridged padma, surmounted by four-armed double-roll brackets
handed lalitasana female divinity (Gauri ?). The carrying decorations of creeper on the side faces and
goddess carries snake and noose in the upper hands, drooping foliages in the form of pendants on the
and varadamudra and fruit in the lower ones; she front. The pilasters are five-faceted and, like the
has crocodile as her vāhana. Each of these images pillars, consist of shaft and capital. The lower part
is accompanied on the inner side by three male of the shaft is similar to the first belt of the pillar
attendants and on the outer side by two male atte. shaft, with this difference that here the miniature
ndants. The door-lintel continues the decorative shrines shelter diamonds. The upper portion of the
bands of the jambs and depicts a padmāsana Jina in shaft is divided into six horizontal belts, each treated
dhyānamudrā on the lalāta. In front of the door is as padma adorned with lotus petals and buds. The
a moonstone which consists of an ardhacandra tied
on either end with gagāraka, farkha and lotus stem capital corresponds to that of the pillars, but here
and flanked in turn by a talarūpaka. The ardhacandra the bharani is clasped by suspended foliage. The
is incised with scallop pattern, architraves are divided into two fasciae, the lower being decorated with lotus scrolls which come forth
The pillars of the north porch also confrom the mouth of a kiritimukha carved in the centre, sist of only shaft and capital. The shaft is divided and the upper a strip of diamonds. In the centre into three sections, viz. octagonal, sixteen-sided and of their underside is carved in low relief a lotus circular, the first being the longest and the second medallion comprising two rows of petals. The the shortest. The octagonal protion is further domical ceiling is composed of seven courses. The divided into two horizontal belts by a kumuda, the first course is octagonal and the others are circular. lower depicting on each facet a segmented pilaster The inner face of the first course is adorned with crowned by a bell type of rooflet, and the upper diamonds, while its underside depicts a kirttimukha bearing an eight-petalled half opened lotus flower at each corner and a band of creepers on the two with buds in between the petals. The sixteen-sided projected sides. The second is decorated with a section shows decoration of concave-sided flutings kiritimukha-band. The next five courses consist of below and a band of heart-shaped leaves above,
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