Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

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

Page 807

328 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
Temple. This agrees with the literary tradition of Yaśobhadrasuri having founded Cauvisa Jiņālaya at Denduānaka (Dinduana) in Marumandala at about the same time.
III MAHAVIRA TEMPLE, GHANERAV
Ghanerav is situated in the Gorwad area of Rajasthan. To the four miles east, south-east of the town is located the temple of Mahāvira famed in local legend and well-known as an important Jaina centre of pilgrimage, one of the five holy tirthas, in this part of Rajasthan since the mediaeval times.
The temple complex, as at Osia, faces north and comprises a Mülaprāsāda connected with a Gūdhamandapa articulated with Mukhamandapa followed by a Rangamandapa surrounded by twentyfour Devakulikās. The whole complex is perched on a low Jagati which supports a Prākāra (Enclosure) at its top where the Devakulikās end.
The Main Temple is of a sandhāra class and dvi anga on plan where karna and the bhadra proliferate. Each balconied bhadra of the Mūlaprāsāda as well as of the Gūdhamandapa is fitted with grille mixed with vyālas and heavenly minstrels. The Mülaprāsāda and the Gūdhamaņdapa are of equal width which is 8.52 M and are connected through a narrow, recessed kapilī (Fig. 2). The total length of the whole temple upto the stairway of the Mukhamandapa is 18.38 M, almost of the size of the Sun temple at Varman.
In elevation, the temple has a basement that includes both the pitha as well as vedībandha as is known in the case of Somanātha Phase I Temple at Prabhas, Lākheśvara temple at Kerakot, Lakşmaņa temple and two others at Khajuraho and still earlier temples such as Sonkansari No. 2 at Ghumali in Saurashtra and Brahmānasvāmi temple at Varman. The consecutive mouldings above the double course of bhitta are jādyakumbha, kumuda (torus), antarapatra, and pațţikā, all boldly shaped but undecorated. The vedibandha above is equally plain. The basement harbours a niche below the centre of each balconied window. Corresponding to the five balconies-two of the Güdhamandapa and three of the Mūlaprāsāda--there are niches in equal number. They enshrine Jaina gods and goddesses. Perambulating from east to west, they are in order Padmāvati, Cakreśvari, Brahmaśānti Yakşa, Nirvāṇī, and Gomukha Yakşa.51
The janghå of the wall shows Dikpāla figures, very boldly carved, on the karņas. They stand in framed niches uplifted by bhāraputrakas as at Trinetreśvara Temple near Than. . The ninth and the tenth