Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 735

264 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
In the adjoining miniature niche, which is really the lateral niche of the western bhadra we have an image of a four-armed goddess seated in lalitásana on a lotus which rests over a crocodile. She holds flower in the lower right hand, upper right hand placed on the simanta, the upper left carrying mirror and lower left kept over her lap.
North face :
The first two northern niches, viz. niches XII-XIII were never built.
The eastern recess of the northern bhadra, however, shows an image of two-armed Padmavati Yakşi standing under a canopy of serpent-hoods.
Niche XIV on the north projection of the antarăla shows a standing image of two-armed Kubera, carrying skull-cup and purse, the latter placed on two jars, representing nidhis. The purse is decorated with floral pattern disposed in vertical registers. The god has an oval halo resembling a spoked wheel and wears crown, kundalas, torque, upavita, keyūras, long malā, wristlets and anklets. Ram mount is shown on the proper right. The god is flanked on the proper right by a standing couple and on the left by a male cauri-bearer.
In the niche below niche XIV occurs a four-armed standing goddess, carrying abhaya, lotus flower, nilotpala, and probably mirror held upside down. She wears crown, kundalas, torque, hära, wristlets, under-garment fastened by belt with jewelled loops and tassels and anklets.
Niche XV below the north balcony of the mahamandapa shows an image of a twelve-armed goddess seated in lalitásana. The right hands carry sword, mirror, indefinite object, flower, cakra and vajra; while of the left hands three are broken and two carry lotus flowers and one carries a fruit. The goddess wears a flattened head-dress with the cațula-maņi ornament on the sīmanta, two types of kundalas, torque, hāra, keyūras, wristlets, under-garment fastened by belt with jewelled loops and tassels and anklets. A defaced animal partly resembling a boar is depicted below the lotus seat of the goddess, which is wellpreserved with a handsome face.
Niche XVI on the north projection of the mandapa shows a two-armed image of Indra seated in lalitásana over his elephant mount. He has an oval halo carved with lotus petals and wears a cylindrical crown (kiriţa-mukuța), kundalas, torque, upavita, keyūras, wristlets, and