Jainism in Rajasthan

Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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JAINISH IN RAJASTHAN
OTHER MEDIEVAL JAINA TEMPLES: The great Jaina temples of of Chintāmaņi Pārsvanātha, Rishabhadeva, Sāntinātha, Sambhavanātha and Mahāvira in the fort of Jaisalmer constructed one after another in a period between the twelfth and the fifteenth centuries are excellent. From a prasasti of the Dasašrāvakacharitra written in 1218 A.D., it is known that Jagaddhara. son of Kshemandhara, constructed the temple of Pārsvanātha at Jaisalmer.1 The temple of Pārsvanātha, which is the oldest and most beautiful, repaired from time to time. The most important part of the temples is the shrine containing the image of Tīrthamkara. The four walls of the shrine are beautifully carved with animals and human figures. Over the roof of this particular shrine is built a highly decorated Śrkhara invariably crowned by an tūmalaka. Above the āmalaka is the water pot containing a lotus flower.
There is a porch and bhogamandapa in front of this shrine. Facing this porch, there is the natamandapa, octagonal in shape, which is decorated with themes of Jaina and Hindu mythology.
Profuse ornamentations in the shape of foliage, flowers, birds and human figures were used in decorating every part of the pillar, arch, lintel or bracket. Therc hang the graceful full blown lotus-shaped pendants from the centre on the ceiling of the Natamandıra dome. Over the columns of the porch arc the bracket capitals which support the architraves of the dome and the struts supporting the gallery. Between the bracket capitals and under the struts arc placed beautifully ornamented for ana shaped figure forming a kind of picrced arch. The surrounding courtyard is enclosed by a double colonnade of smaller finely carved and ornamented ceilings. Behind it, there stands a range of cell, and each of it contains the cross legged seated Tirtharkara.
Before the entrance gate of the temple is the porch supported by decorated columns. Just over the chhujas at both corners in the friezes of the porch are two figures of elephants. The carving perforated in the architraves, kangura parapet and especially the sıkhara or dome over the porch arc clegant and graceful. The greatest attraction of these temples is the torana
that stands on a pair of decorated columns in front of the entrance porch of shParsvanātha temple. The columns are ornamented with lotus, animals, . ------ karas and adorned with sculptures which seem almost instinct wi nplicity. AR " Jaisalamera Kā Sūchipatra, pp. 116 and 37.