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 : 331
The one on the right as well as the left bay is of the Nābhicchanda class with gajatālus in linkages (Fig. 15) and is a precursor of those known from the Sun temple (1027) at Modhera.54
On either side of the doorway of the Gūdhamandapa is found a well-embellished khattaka showing bhäraputrakas, gagārakas and kamarūpa at its base and a double, deeply grooved udgama above. The engaged pillars on either side of the door show respectively a figure of Gangā and Yamunā above the base.
The Doorframe comprises patrašakhă carved with undulating creeper, followed by a rūpasākhă mixed with vyālas followed in turn by rūpastambha, bāhyaśākha with lotus leaves, and ratnaśákhā with bakulikā on the side and någa at the bottom. The rūpastambha on either side bears six goddesses in panels; on the left are Rohini, a two-armed goddess bearing a trident, with peacock as her vehicle, Vajraśrnkhalā, Vajrānkuśā, a divinity showing abhaya, pāśa, ankusa and mudgara with tortoise as the vehicle and tricephalous snake above the head, and lastly Yakși Nirvāṇi or Mahālakṣmi (since the lotuses in the hand show elephant); on the right are Mahālakṣmi, Manasi, Acchuptā, Vairoty, Vajrānkušā and Yaksi Ambikā. Those on the architrave seem more retouched than the ones on the jambs.
Inside of the Gūdhamandapa is sombre. Above the central octagon formed by faceted pillars is found a Sabhāmārga vitāna (Fig. 16). It starts with a karņadardariká decorated with indented leaves, followed by grāsapattikā, rūpakantha, kolas ending in gagāraka or nāga, two more courses of kola, followed by a gajatālu course, a dardarikā, once more gajatālu course, and lastly a gajatālu with padmakesara in the centre. In the rūpakantha are seen näyikās on elephant brackets in lieu of vidyadhara brackets, a convention known from several schools in Rajasthan but unknown in Gujarat.55 The diameter of the Ceiling is 4.10 M.
The inner sanctum, dvi anga on plan and 3.35 M wide, has three niches on the central offsets, now vacant. The doorframe is similar to the one of the Gūdhamandapa. The Vidyadevis and Yakṣis on the
54 Ibid., Fig. 32. 55 In Gujarat, in most cases, the Vidyadhara is found; in a few cases,
lumbikā brackets are also known. The oldest example of the former is seen in the ceiling of the Rangamandapa of Muni Bāwā temple near Than datable to the third quarter of tenth century.