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MEDIEVAL JAINISM : CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
Ahar is situated 20 km. east of Tikamgarh. This sacred place was tastefully beautified by the Candella rulers, who constructed there several buildings and ponds. The extant temples there were built in the eleventh and the succeeding centuries. Apart from the temples of Santinatha and other Jainas and of Bahubali, there are several manastambhas. Inscriptions on the pedestals of images give an account of several branches of the Jainas, who contributed to the development of this centre. A site museum has been set up at Ahar.
At Banpur, near Tikamgarh, is an interesting shrine representing a sarvatobhadra-sahasra-kuta, with a door on each of the four directions. The shrine, of the Nagara style is built on the square basement, about 1 m. high. Its entire composition, the decorated pillars, ceilings, garbhagrha and tapering sikhara are remarkable indeed. The decorative arrangements of the river-goddesses, the Navagarhas and the foliage-work are also exquisitely done. The images of Adinatha and Sarasvati and of other deities have been tastefully carved. Near Tikamgarh the other two sacred Jaina centres are at Papaura and Navagarha.
Dronagiri, in Chhatarpur district, is another important siddha-ksetra. It has thirty Jaina shrines located on hillocks commanding the scenic beauty of the area. The temples were constructed there between 1483 and 1539 A.D. Sonagiri, Nainagiri, Graha, Golakot, Panjari, and Ajaigarh are other sites worth mention where Jaina art and architecture grew up during the period. At Ajaigarh, district Panna, in the reign of the Canella king Viravarman, a remarkable image of Santinatha was enshrined in 1279 A.D. The work of construction continued there till later times. At Naunia, near village Barhata in Narsinghpur district, are seen colossal statues of Adinatha, Candraprabha and
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