Some Early Jaina Temples in Western India

Author(s): M A Dhaky
Publisher: Z_Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_Mahotsav_Granth_Part_1_012002.pdf and Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_

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SOME EARLY JAINA TEMPLES IN WESTERN INDIA : 315
box (Fig. 3) is particularly pleasing. The upper end of the kati is marked by a padmapattikä revealing a chain of half lotuses. This feature is known in several Brahmanical shrines at Osia itself and at Roda in the case of Temple I. Above this lotus band comes the varandikā formed by two cornices in between which is a deep kantha (fillet) decorated with palmette design.
The śikhara above the Mūlaprāsāda, in the elaborate MāruGurjara style, is not the original one. It is constituted by karmas, śțngas (turrets), uraḥśrngas (leaning half spires) and the central mūlamañjarī (main spire). The normally seen rathika (framed panel) in the bhadra portion of the sikhara is substituted here by a projected gavākṣa (balcony) which seems a very early and so far known the only one precursor of that feature so commonly met in the fifteenth century examples in Western India.40
(2) Gūdhamandapa
The Gūdhamaņdapa, which is 10.65 M wide, is likewise square but dvi anga on plan and hence possesses only two projections-bhadra and karna (Fig. 1). In elevation it shares the mouldings of the Mūlaprāsāda upto varandika. The karna-kumbha on the front is ornamented with niched figures of the.pairs of Yakşa and Yakși and on the west with Kubera. The janghā on the front karņa shows niched figures of Sarasvati and (3) Pārśva Yakşa41 on the left one and Acchuptā and Apraticakrā on the right one. The rear karna janghā of the Gūdhamandapa has a sunk niche (now vacant) on either side.
The superstructure of the Gūdhamandapa is a tribhūma phāṁsanā (three tiered pyramidical roof) of great beauty and consistency. Its prahara (base) is formed by a rūpakantha (astragal with figures) which shows dancing vidyadharas and gandharvas playing musical instruments in discrete panels. The rūpakantha is capped by a chadyaki (hood) followed by an antarapatra carved with chequer pattern. Each of the four corners of the phāṁsana at this stage is surmounted by a graceful
40 The study of the extant temples, strangely enough, does not reveal
the presence of such gavākşas in the śikhara dating before the fifteenth century. In the late instances, however, the gavākṣa is seen supported by madalas (struts) not found in the Osian
antecedent. 41 The attributes of this two-armed Yaksa are missing; but his head is
canopied by a seven-hooded cobra.