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कहाऊँ स्तम्भ एवं क्षेत्रीय पुरातत्व की खोज
६३
images of the Tīrthankaras? The answer to this question is given by the topography of the pillar.
(2) The topography of the pillar consists, as already observed, of an elevation evidently indicative of a temple, an extensive pond and broken pieces of images assembled under improvised brick structures. Obviously there was originally a temple to the west of the pillar in which the five images mentioned in the inscription were installed. There is no doubt that the images assembled under improvised sheds are Jain images. Unfortunately all the broken pieces are not available and in their absence it is not possible to identify the five Tīrthankaras whose images were installed in the original temple; but it is certain that the broken pieces are the remnants of the original idols installed in the temple.
:One more fact is worth consideration. Generally pillars were erected before the temples. They bear either the effigies of the conveyances (vāhanas) of the deities (in the case of Brāhamanical temples) on some symbols or emblems peculiar to religious sects; in some cases they were dipastanıbbas and bore niches for lamps. Most probably the pillar under consideration was one of such pillars. It was erected before a temple, facing towards the east, and it bore the representations of the images installed in the temple and symbol or emblem which constituted the pinnacle now missing.
In the circumstances the conclusion is strongly suggested that pañce Indras and ädikartris refer to the fullfledged stone idols originally installed in the temple which was built to the west of the pillar and not to the representations on the pillar.
R.B. PANDEY
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