Jinamanjari 2002 04 No 25

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 33

Jaina Temple Architecture in Kerala
Jaina temple architecture in Kerala state, according to Gopinatha Rao, are found in extreme northern and southern parts. His study of the two ancient Jain temples, which were subsequently converted to Hindu temples, perhaps would suffice the summary of the Jaina temples in the state.
The temple of Padmāvati, which became known as Bhagavati, on the Tiruchchānasttumalai near Chitarāl, has images of Jinas and Padmāvati on the overhanging rock of the temple. The cropped head, hanging ear-lobes, the contemplative mood, yogic padmāsana posture, the simhasana, figures of cauri bearing yakşas and vidyādharas and other devatas have striking adherence of the features of the Jaina images as given in the Mānasāra text.34 The Jaina iconographic features of a male and a female brass devata images at Nāgarcoil Jaina temple, which continued up to the period of King Bhūtalvira Udayamārttāņdavarman, have been given by Rao" The standing male image with a few gentle bends in its body has its right hand held in the abhaya pose and the left hand resting on the hip (katyavalambita hasta); on its head a krit makuta and over it is a fiveheaded cobra's head. The ears are ornamented with makarakundalas; and other ornaments - the hāras, the udarabandha, the katakas and karkaņas. The lower part of the body is draped in clothes which have the conventional parallel folds descending obliquely on the legs. The female tribhanga figure holding a utpala flower in right hand while the left arm hangs parallel to the body has the channavira ornament in addition to the ones found on the male image, and its head has a threeheaded cobra's hood." Accordingly, they have "nothing peculiarly Hindu in them; they are Jainas as Hindu deities." The temple sometime after the King Bhūtalvira Udayamārttāņdavarman has become Nāgarāja temple, What may be observed here from the description of the brass images is the characteristics of the Jaina images.
The State of Tamilnadu
In Tamilnadu the Jaina architecture is found in the natural caves and berths, "holy residences," of the Jaina ascetics known from over two thousand years have been locally termed as sramana pallis, which are natural caverns. The pallis subsequently occupied the position of cave temples, with bold relief sculptures of Jinas. **
Sittannavasal village near Pudukkottai is both an early Jain cave shelter and a medieval rock-cut temple. "A steep hill in
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