________________
The Architectural Forms of Temples
307 The form of the shrine and the mandapa are of the same type as those of the one shrined temples of this period. III. Triple-shrined Temples.
In these temples three shrines are planned adjoining three sides of a common mandapa.
The known instances of Triple temple are at Kasara 106 Parabadi107 Girnar.108 To this list Bhidbhanjan Mahadeva of Visavada may be added. 109
The triple shrined temple, built by Vastupala at Girnar has a peculiar arrangement of the ground plan. The central garbhagļiha enshrining the image of Mallinatha has a maņdapa in front of it. This mandapa is fronted by another maņdapa which is flanked by two garbhagrihas on the two sides. There are no porches. A flight of steps lead to the central maņdapas; while the adjoining shrines has entrances on all the four sides.
The Central shrine is surmounted by the curvilinear spire. The maņdapa in front of the main shrine has Samaraņa ( Samvarņā) type of superstructure. The other mandapas and the adjoining shrines are adorned with domical superstructures which seem to be later additions.
(e) The Architectural Form traced to the Canonical Sources :- The Nāgara Type
Brihatsamhitā.110 gives the names of proportionate measurement and enumerates 20 forms based on different shapes of the emple. 106. AANG. Pit. LXXXVIII. 107. SMTK. Plt. LXXI. 108. AKK. Plts. XXXVIII and XXXIV; Here Figs. 118 & 232. Dr. H. D. Sankalia has enlisted the Temple of Kanoda (AG. p. 77 ) in the group. In support of his enumeration he relies the existance of three porches attached to the mandapa (Ag. p. 82) but from the plan given by Burgess (AANG. XLI) it seems that it was a one-shrined temple with a maņdapa which had three porches, each on each side. 109. For detail Vide Appendix 'A' below. 110. Br. Sm. LVII; 17-31.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
