________________
368
The Structural Temples of Gujarat The projected portions in the ground plans of the maņdapa on either side are adorned with elevated Kakşāsana at times, but the arrangement of windowed balconies or entrances through attached porches make the maņdāpa more sublime and picturesque. The maņdapas of the temples at Madhavpur (Sun temple), Sejakpur (Jain temple), Prabhas (Sun temple on Triveni and old Somnātha temple ) Girnar (Nemi), Sarotra etc. have such balconied windows while the temples at Ghumali (Navalakha), Girnar (Neminath), Siddhapur (Rudramāla, restored plan), Modhera, Taranga have Kakşāsana only.
In elevation part the maņdapa has a basement, the pillars (with or without Kaksāsanas ), the architraves and the domical or stepped pyramidal superstructure.
In case of large temples the mandapa may be two, three or even five storied structure. The Navalakhā temple at Ghumali and the Ajitanātha temple at Taranga, the Kālikā mātā and Vaidyanātha temples at Dabhoi etc. consist of two storeys. The maņdapa of the Rudramala temple at Siddhpur was probably of 2 or 3 storeys as Burgess suggested. The famous Dwarkadhis temple at Dwarka consists of five storeys. *
(ii) Canonical principles discerned.
M. P. has given a separate chapter on the Maņdapa. In it, it has discussed the various kinds of the mandapa in accordance with the dimensions of the shrine. It classifies the manqapas into three1 categories Uttama, Madhyama and Kanistha. The * During my visit to Mansa (Vijapur Taluka Dist. Mehsana) I come across a brick structure with a double storey. The structure except probably, the part of a double storied manďapa is extinct. The extant maņdapa has a device of double stair-case which lead to the upperstoried portion of the inner side projecting balcony. The protograph produced here is indicative of the structure being storied with a dome over it. It is also now ruined. The site of the extant temple is known as Gāndu deruň. 1. M P. CCLXX.
2. Ibid. 1. 2.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
