Spiritual Awakening and other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 77

have constructed a large number of temples throughout India. The two temple complexes, known as the Delavādā temples at Mt. Abū and built in the 11th and 12th centuries A.D., by the minister of the kings of Gujarāta are regarded as the minor wonders of the world."75 Henry Cousens wrote, "The amount of beautiful ornamental detail spread over these temples in the minutely carved decoration of ceilings, pillars, doorways, panels and niches, is simply marvellous."76 : Again the Jaina temple at Rāņakapura in Mevāda (1440 A.D.) is the most complicated and extensive Jaina temple in India.”? Fergusson remarks that "no two pillars in the whole building are exactly alike - the grace with which they are arranged, the tasteful admixture of domes of different heights with flat ceilings, and the mode in which the light is introduced, combine to produce an excellent effect."78 The other temples of such superb character are the temples of : Pārsvanātha at Khajarāho in Bundelakhanda (11 cent., A.D.), the temple at Lakkuņdī in Karnātaka (12th cent. A.D.), The Jinanāthapura temple near Sravanabelagola in Mysore (12th cent. A.D.) and Hosa Bastī at Mūdabidrī in South Kanara (14th cent. A.D.).79
Besides, the grouping together of temples into what may be called "Cities of temples" is a peculiarity which the Jainas have practised to a greater extent than the followers of any other religion in India."80 "Such notable temple-cities are found, among other places, at Śatruñjaya or Pālitānā and Giranāra in Gujarāta, at Sammeda śikhara in Bihāra, at Sonāgiri in Bundelakhanda, at Muktāgiri in Mahārāştra, at Kunthalgiri in the Deccan, at Śravanabelagola in Mysore and at Mūdabidri in South Kanara."81
Another remarkable contribution of the Jainas to the whole of Indian art, is the free standing pillars found in front of almost every Jaina temple in South India. 82" There are
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Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays