________________
70
Rita Pratap
inscribed with red colour on pink coloured wall. The wall facing the idol and behind the door are two identical panels of male figures which seem to be the 'Dvārapālas' holding stiok with both hands, wearing Jāmā, Patakā, Headgear and all ornaments. On top of it are two small panels of Indra's holding stick and plate with a pot. On both sides are two identical bigger panels showing Indra with 4 females dancing on both the hands.
Below it there are 2 subjects relating to Jaina preachings – that is the 'Cosmic tree'. Here symbolically a Banyan tree is shown with a man clinging on its hanging roots. These roots are being constantly cut by white and black coloured rats symbolising the day and night. Over the hanging man there is bee-hives from which honey drops are falling and the man is busy in tasting the nectar of human existence, he is ignoring the inspiration to ride a near by religious vehicle. He is obivious of the fact that once the hanging roots are cut he will fall in the dark regions of hell which are symbolized by serpents below.
On the right side front wall, in an arch is painted the symbolic Jāmuna tree representing 6 different characteristics ( svabhāvas ) of human beings. The black natured man is shown cutting the tree by its root itself. Blue natured man is cutting a whole branch and white natured man is cutting the bigger stems of the tree. These are considered inauspicious svabhāvas. Out of auspicious svabhāva the yellow natured man is busy in plucking the bunch of Jāmuna fruit. Whereas pink omened man is plucking a single fruit and the most well omened man is satisfied in collecting the fallen Jāmuna fruit from the ground. This is a very good depiction of people in the society out of whom some are good omened and some are bad omened. The pillars and ceiling of the temple complex has floral patterns painted in the centre and on four sides with gaudi colours, the pillars have the common lotus design painted. Technique of the Wall Paintings
. The workmanship done in the Patodi temple is on Araish. It is not true fresco but may be called secco that is tempra painting done on a dry fresco ground. (The media in which plaster is prepared with marble powder and lime and allowed to be dried and painted there on ). The pigments in this process do not enter the ground but stay on the dry surface - so quite a number of colour can be applied. We find numerous shades of colours used in painting the temple, the main ones are the natural pigments - Kājala (lamp black) for Black, Nila (indigo) for Blue, Gerū (red stone powderfor red, Kesara ( saffron) for orange, Harbhata (terre
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
