________________
NĀGADĀ'S ANCIENT JAINA TEMPLE
M. A. Dhaky Nāgadā (anc. Nāgabrda, var. Nāgadraha) was one of the capital-clties of the Guhila-s of Mewar (anc. Medapāta), particularly in the later part of the tenth century. The temple of Lakulisa (972) in the Ekalingaji group, the Vişņu temple in the gorge (ca. 972) close to Ekalingajia and the famous twin temples called Sas-bahu temples at the ancient site of Nāgada bear witness to the foregone statement. Nāgadā was also known as a Jaina centre of some consequence as gleaned from the later medieval Svetambara Jaina literature4. The svetambara Jaina temple at Nagada, however, seem to date from the fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries and although they merit attention, the focus of discussion for the present paper is the solitory Digambara Jaina shrine, which, being relatively earlier in date, is of some significance from the standpoint of the earlier history of the local style. D. R. Bhandarkar has briefly noticed this temple. But the present paper is intended to give fuller details of its structure and date.
I will first describe the temple, locally known as Alau Parsvanatha, and next analyse its elements. The temple (see plate) consists of two structures, the prāsada (temple proper) and the rangamandapa (theatrical hall), the latter structure being rebuilt at some later date, either in the fourteenth or possibly in the fifteenth century as judged from the nature of its great central ceiling: (not illustrated). The hall being unimportant for our study, I shall not enlarge upon its details. The temple is built of crude marble and faces the east.
The prāsāda is about 27 ft. in basal 'width and its plan is organized on the principle of bhadra (central offset) made up of subhadra (middle proliferation) flanked by upa-bhadra-s (subsidiary sections), and pratiratha (companion of the bhadra) and karņa (corner or angle) in the proportion approximately of 4:1,1. Its pitha (base), which is of the Sadhārana' class of the Western Indian vustusastra-s, rests over a bhitta-plinth. Its mould.. ings in sequence are the jādyakumbha (inverted cyma recta) having a decoration of thakariku-s (caitya-dormers) evenly distributed at measured intervals, the karņaka or the knife-edged arris, and a plain paffika (band). The moulded rödibandha (podium) of the wall, particularly its kumbha (pitcher) as well as the kalasa (torus) mouldings, has no figural or other kind of carving excepting the usual thakari-s for the kapõtali (cyma-cornice) which tops over the kalasa. The tall recessed jangha (middle section of the wall) likewise has no carving and its monotony is partly relieved by the presence of a medil gräsa pattika-band. Each of the three bhadra-s have a shallow
