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RELIGION & CULTURE OF THE JAINS
In their temple architecture the Jainas, as was natural, adopted the art styles, Indo-Aryan or Nāgara in the north and Dravidian or Besara in the Deccan, south and south-east, which were prevalent in the places and times where and when they built their temples. They, however, also introduced certain characteristic features in keeping with her own culture and ideals, which tended to make it a distinct Jaina art, at least to an extent. Then , they created in certain localities 'whole cities of temples', such as Sravanabelgol, Mudabidri, ShatruñjayaPalitana, Abu, Deogarh, Sonagir, Sammeda-shikhar, Thubonji, Ahar, Khajuraho, Kundalpur, Pachrai, Papaura, Pawapur and Rajgir. The Jains have been acclaimed by art connoisseurs to have distinguished themselves by their decorative sculpture, as distinct from individual statuary, and to have attained a considerable degree of excellence in the perfection of pillared chambers, one of their favourite forms of architecture. These took various shapes and gave full play to a variety of designs, differing according to the locality, the nature of the climate, or the substance available out of which to execute their artistic ideals. Some of these richly carved and sculptured pillared chambers have been declared by reputed art critics as the finest specimens of the ancient and early mediaeval Indian architecture.
In fact, many of the decorative carvings and base-reliefs are so full of human interest that the austere asceticism which symbolised itself in the huge, stoic and nude Jina images was more than counterbalanced by the abundance and variety of these sculptures which in a sense gave expression to the later and emotional Jainism. The representation of the nāga is also a distinct feature of the Jaina art ; snake images are very frequent about Jaina temples, particularly in Mysore and Canara, there being a regular Nägarāja temple at Nagercoil near Cape Comorin, which, it has been proved, was originally a Jaina shrine.
