Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 02

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 40

256
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Jijñāsā
ceiling is of ksipta type decorated with full blossom lotus, while the inner and external walls are plain. The doorway measures 1.4 x 0.6 meters and carved with small Jina images on the lintel. The female deities or attendants depicted on the lower portion in the niches and the recesses are decorated with geometrical designs filled with floral pattern. The lalātabimba is carved with a tiny Jina image in padmāsana posture flanked by the kāyotsarga Jina images on both the corners. The lower portion of the doorjamb is decorated with two female deities, placed one on each side of the niche. These female figures are depicted in tribhanga posture with two arms in which the right hand is in katyāvalambitaposition or placed on waist and left hand is turned upwards. They are also accompanied with female attendants. The udumbara of the doorway is carved with mandāraka in the centre flanked by two couchant lion-elephant figures, one on each side.
The middle temple 3 is very narrow and measures 3.0 x 1.8 meters. The sanctum sanctorum is enshrined with a mutilated image of a tirthamkara in kāyotsarga posture. The upper portion of the image is missing and in the absence of cognizance and other details the identification of the tirthamkara is not possible. On the basis of the dated inscription on the pedestal of the enshrined image, the year of the construction of the temple might be contemplated in 1179 C.E.
The dimension of the temple 4 is 3.0 x 0.6 meters and it is almost similar to the temple 2. At present there is no image in the sanctum sanctorum, so it is not possible to confirm that the temple was dedicated to which Jina or tīrthamkara.
The remains of a mandapikā are found scattered towards south of the temple 1. There are four pillars and huge stone slabs which lie loose on the ground and indicate that originally the mandapikā was made of four pillars surmounted with huge slabs forming the roof. Interestingly, here one could notice the technique of the erection of pillars supported by massive base stone. Pillar was erected by inserting their square cut base into the socket cut out in the square stone piece as evident by a pillar lying coupled with square base stone piece (figure 4). The pillars are badly damaged and two of them are fragmented into pieces. The shape of the pillar consists on the top beautifully decorated small niches containing padmāsana Jina figures in sarvatobhadrikā form is followed by circular plain portion for engraving the inscription, then vertical long strips followed by octagonal shape, while the lower portion bears long niches in four directions containing the figures of śāsanade vatās (figure 5). The Jina images do not bear any identification marks but the śāsanadevatās could be recognized as yakşi figures of Ambikā, Padmāvati, Cakreśvarī, Kāli and Sarasvati. Inscriptions of the pillars suggest that the mandapikä was constructed in 1125-26 C.E.
The utility of the room constructed nearby the mandapikā is difficult to understand. Its walls are covered with lime paint, housed a huge image flanked by small images on both the sides. All of them are badly damaged and painted with vermilion that makes their identification more complicated. The doorway of the room is simple while lintel portion is decorated with small kāyotsarga Jina figures in the centre as well as on both the corners.
All these temples, mandapikā and room are located on the slope of the hill. Further approaching down to the slope there are three temples. Of them, two are small in size and remains in ruined condition. Nevertheless, the other one is the largest among the Caita temples and comparatively well preserved. Coming down from the slope of the hill, we reach first to the largest temple and then to a group of two temples. These are mentioned here in succeeding numbers.