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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Thus in vertical treatment, the Kunda is a five storied (pañca-bhūmika) structure which contains in all 72 pillared niches, 12 being rectangular and the rest nearly square in shape; 20 side-stairs and 12 right0angular stairs. The thirty three extant figures found in the niches surrounding all the four directions of the kunda. Most of them are in seating postures, few being standing like Gaṇeśa, Visņu, Sitală, Agni etc.
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
Accordingly the walls of the Kunda are found adorned with niched figurs of divine beings and abundant loos sculptures and a heap of Architectural fragments lying on its bank are indicative of the existence of a temple and a 'torana' associated with the extant Kunda.
In the cronical works a Kunda square in shape is called 'Bhadraka'. The Kunda at Akhaj is of this type.
The Sakti Kunda is perhaps the oldest among the existing Kundas found in the region of North Gujarat. It is older than the famous Surya-Kunda at Modherā. Surya Kunda, Modherā
The Sun temple with its Güdha and Sabha-mandapas with extraordinarily rich carving, pillars, toranas and Kirti-stambhas is not only the finest as a structure but the appearance of the whole scheme with its charming Kunda taken together with its architectural setting is the best that can be conceived by a master builder. In viewing the Modhera temple as a whole the aesthetic sense at once respods to the elegance of its proportions, the entire construction being lit with the living flame of inspiration.29
In front of the Sun temple is a spacious oblong tank wich is known as the Rāma or Surya Kunda. It has many terraces and steps that lead down to the water. On its bank and corners are various small shrines, 108 in all in some of which are to be seem the images of Sitalä, Jalaśäyi- Visnu and various other gods. The interesting and rare sculptures noticed here are those of Candra and Rāvana. The Kunda measures 53.8 x 36.6 mtr. (175 x 120 feet).30 It is rectangular in east to west. It is on the east face of the sabhā- maṇḍapa from which a broad stair lead down to the waters edge. The upper and outermost margin is surrounded by a low wall on the ground level. A small rectangular recessed by projects outwards from the middle of each of the sides and in the middle of these on the first terrace below the ground level small detached shrines stand, each facing the tank.
The sides of the tank descend to the water in terraces, of which the drop from one to another is some what considerable, and steps running parallel to them would give no resting places; hence, from small landings above, a few cross-steps at rightangles to the sides descend at both ends to the next tarrace below. Access is, thus, secured from terrace to terrace by these numerous little stairs.
The terraced descent is decorated with small shrines. Besides these shrines there are numerous niches wich contain images. The nateworthy images from the small shrine are Visņu reposing on Seṣa. The installation of Seṣa-śāyī Viṣṇu on the east is
SOME UNIQUE STEP-WELLS AND TANKS OF GUJARAT AND RAJASTHAN
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