Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

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

Page 839

340 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
construction. Those on the east, and running upto the Trika along the north and the south were built contemporaneously with the Main Shrine. Those extending further and merging with the western row were added during the later part of the eleventh century. The temple was thus originally intended to be a caturvinsati jinälaya and not bāvana jinälayı as it stands today with later accretions. There is nothing particular about the Devakulikās, most of which have a simple doorframe. The dvärapålas of the eastern ones are exceptionally fine, as exquisitely postured as those of the doorframe of the garbhagȚha. On the re-entrant wall of the two Devakulikās in the eastern corridor are carved two niches, each facing the other and enshrining an identical image of Sarasvati of about the end of eleventh century. The kați mekhalā of each one with its jhalları (festoon) is the most elaborate of its kind known in Western India. The pillars of the entryway in the eastern corridor with their sur-capitals and grille work and apsarases are of the same date as the temple.
The date of the older parts of the temple requires careful examination. The inscription of 1116 within the temple declares a donation for the worship of śāntinātha installed by General Yaśodeva, grandfather of Ghalluka, the contemporary of Prince Kațțukarāja, the donor. Assuming Yaśodeva installed the image about forty years before the date of the inscription, the temple must be in existence in 1076. But more precise evidences are supplied by the style of sculpture and the form of mouldings which are very near to those of the Sun temple at Modhera. BHANDARKAR dates the sculptures to tenth century as we have already noticed. They are, doubtless, a little earlier than those at Modhera but, at the same time, unquestionably later than those of the typical tenth century examples. A few vestigial architectural and decorative features of late tenth century are there, true : but those of early eleventh century are predominant. The temple, very possibly, is the foundation of the years soon after 1000.
The stylistic affiliations of the shrine are with Medapāța and Arbuda rather than Naddula. That, incidentally, leads to the question of the authorship of the temple. Sewadi stands on the crossroads of four mediaeval kingdoms : Abu, Nadol, Mewad, and Hathundi. Of these the last one is the nearest geographically. Although a principality, Hastikundi was powerful enough to give sanctuary to Cahamāna Mahendra of Nadol and Mülarāja Caulukya of Aṇhilapāțaka against Paramāra Muñja of Mālava, and to Paramāra Dharanivarāha of Abu against Mülarāja Caulukya. The Rāştrakūtas of Hastikundi were