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Fig. 1 Door of a wooden house-shrine with mangala cinha, 18th. Cent. A. D. screen were quite popular in and around Patan. Inner courtyards often had pillared verandah around it. Window shutters were highly artistic in Kutch region. Quite often they consisted of a perforated tracery of wood placed overlooking glasses. The carving is bold twisted and profusely flowering. The struts supporting the upper balcony are deeply under cut, the design being richly interwoven with animal subjects and folier elaborations. On the inside the ceilings often display a variety of geometrical designs.
It is very difficult to quote dated examples of Jaina residential houses having wood carvings. Census of India' (1961) Part VII-A (2) describing wood carvings of Gujarat gives a statement at its end which mentions dwelling houses with wood carvings.
Temple architecture
Once the famous Jain temples on the Holy Mount Satruñjaya were of wood is attested by the story of Uda Mehta.' It is said that when he was performing worship he saw a mouse carrying away a burning wick. Realising its danger to the wooden temples, he resolved to rebuild the temples in stone, a wish which was ultimately fulfilled by his son,
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