Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

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

Page 743

268 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
(5) a bird couple, (6) an elephant, (7) a någa couple, (8) acrobat riding a lion, (9) a human couple, and (10) indistinct. The right extremity of the lintel shows mithunas bearing garlands and standing four-armed Vidyādevi holding varada, book, book and water-vessel. On the corresponding left extremity we find a defaced image of four-armed standing Sarasvati carrying vīņā. On the door-jambs occur Gangā and Yamunā, each flanked by a pair of dvārapalas, as on the doorway of the mandapa. The dvarapālas, facing east, carry gadā in one of their hands.
Sanctum
There are only three central pillars inside the sanctum, the fourth being not needed, as the low rock-ceiling is securely supported in the north-west on the walls of the sanctum. The pilasters are quite plain. More than three-fourth of the ceiling of the sanctum is rock-cut, which is further supported by pillars and lintels.
Inside the sanctum the main deity now enshrined is a seated mediaeval image of Jina placed on a high pedestal. Loose images of one seated and three standing mediaeval Jinas are also kept in the sanctum.
Inner ambulatory
The inner ambulatory is entered on each side by a doorway decorated on the lintels and architraves with miniature shrines and figures.
The southern doorway of the ambulatory shows on the lalåta-bimba of its lintel a flying figure of vidyadhara (can he represent Garuda, the vāhana of Cakreśvari ?) with folded hands. The architrave surmounting the lintel is elaborate and shows three registers, the lower showing nine standing figures of which seven are Jinas and two female devotees. The middle register shows four Tirthankaras and the uppermost seven Tirthankaras. The door-jambs show river-goddesses flanked by dvarapalas and surmounted by kneeling nagas.
The northern doorway of the ambulatory is similar to the southern one but has some differences. The lintel shows the Seven Mothers represented as dancing, flanked by Gaņeśa on the proper left and Virabhadra on the right. Starting from the left end we have Ganesa, Cámundā, Indrāni, Vārāhī, Vaisnavī, Kaumārī, Māheśvari, Brahmāni and Virabhadra.
The inner ambulatory has three major niches on each side, there being an additional niche for the antarāla on the north and south. The central or main niche on each side is larger and is flanked by two