Kevalaodhi Buddhist And Jaina History Of Deccan Vol 2

Author(s): Aloka Parasher Sen, B Subrahmanyam, E Siva Nagi Reddy
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan

Page 124

326
Kevala-Bodhi-Buddhist and Jaina History of the Deccan
central pillars set on an elevated floor in the center and ten corresponding pillars set against the walls. The pillars are of the early type of heavy cubical variety.
The mahāmantapa is square and stands on four central pillars set on an elevated floor in the center. The central pillars consist of a lower square portion. The central portion is divided into 16 X 8 X 16 sided, upper square, pot shaped top disc capital beveled corbel. The other pillars are simple shaft with abacus and corbel. The central ceiling has rotated square and top slab decorated with lotus medallion. The mahamantapa is provided with kakshasanas on four sides. The doorways of the northern and eastern sides are with plain sakhas. The mantapa has eight niches and two niches on four sides and it has two entrances on the north and eastern sides. The mukhamantapa's are provided with kakshásana. The northern mukhamantapa stands on four pillars at the front and enters through flight of steps. Towards the western side of this mantapa there is a garbhagriha facing east. It is square in plan and the doorway is plain. The northern doorway has two sakhas decorated with petals and nāgabandha and the lalátabimba depicted with a seated Jaina figure under triple umbrella and attended by chauri bearers on either side. This temple has a parapet on the front of the mukhamantapa, it is made of bricks and mortar with large niches, each containing a seated Tirthankara in it.
In front of the main temple is found erected a tall mănastambha (Plate L), a monolithic pillar of great height, built on a platform that contains an inscription stating that this Jinalaya was constructed in 1385 AD, by Iruguppa Dandanayaka under Bukka II, in the reign of Harihara II and it was known as Chaityālaya or Kunthu Jinanātha. The adhisthana of the temple consists of jagati, a tripatta-kumuda, a kantha and a kapota. The bhitti is plain and kapota over it is teemed with sāla and kūdus. This is one of the earliest Jina temples of the Vijayanagara period, well preserved and in good condition.
Against the background of the above discussion that Jainism during the medieval times had undergone considerable change in its ritual practice and forms of worship, a description of one the earliest Jinalayas around Hampi enables us to have a clear idea of how these institutions were architecturally planned and sculpturally decorated. Most important of all the medieval Jaina believers were careful in documenting these structures clearly indicating when and by whom they were built leaving behind for posterity enough data for reconstructing the history of the Jaina institutions in the Deccan particularly in Karnataka that seems to have been its important hub from the early medieval period onwards.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. D. Devakunjari, Hampi, ASI, New Delhi, 1983 (Reprint), p. 1 2. Keladi Nripavijaya, pp. 14-16; K. A. Nilakanta Sastry, & N. Venkataramanaiah, Further Sources of Vijayanagara
History (FSVH), Vol. II, p. 10 3. SII, Vol. IX part 2, No 271, p. 68. 4. Ibid. No. 260, p. 47 5. FSVH, Vol. II, p. 10 6. EC, II, SB 1, p. 1 7. Ibid. X, MR. 73, pp. 172-73 8. Ibid. X, MR. 72, pp. 171-172 9. B. A. Salatore, Medieval Jainism, p. 156 10. E. P. Rice, A History of Kanarese Literature, London, 1921, p. 32 11. Ibid. p. 34