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Decorative Sculptures and Their Structural Functions
467
Devanganās etc. They all adorn the external side of the walls of the Jain temples and especially the ceilings of the maṇḍapas. Further Jains have adopted Hindu deities as their minor devas and so the sculptures of Siva, Visņu, Sarsvati, Brahmā, Dikpālas etc. have place for decorative purposes. These deities along with the Jain parivaradevatās are seen on the walls of the Jain temples at Mt. Abu, Satrunjay, Girnar and Taranga.
(8) Among the scenes from the Epics and Purāņas the scene of Kaliyamardans seems very popular as it is found carved on the ceilings of several temples such as those at Manod, s 5 Madhavpur, 36 Odadar,37 Abu, Somnatha (extinct)38 etc. Two other scenes from the Puraṇas can be recognised among the sculptures on the Kālikāmātā temple at Dabhoi. One of these depicts the scene of the Samudramanthana 39 (churning of the ocean), the other relates the story of Takṣaka and Parīksiata.40
Several panels in the ceilings in the Vimala and Tejapāla temples at Abu41 depict scenes from lives of Jain Tirthankaras, scenes from the Epics and the the Vedikas of the Hatakeśvara contain some images of Rāma,
Several panels depicting Purāņas are found carved on temple at Vadnagar. They also Krisna, Viṣṇu etc.42
The representation of Human being
During the Caulukyan period. a few portrait sculptures and scenes depicting life, not of the people of the period but of the Tirthankaras are found in the temples at Abu.43
35. AANG. p. 109. fig. 10.
36. SMIK. Plt. XCII.
38. SMTK. Plt. LXXVIII.
39. Burgess, Dabhoi, Plt. XV. 40. lbid.
37. Here Fig. 189.
41. AG. Fig. 50 from a ceiling in Tejapala temple. 42. Here Figs. 196-201.
43. The supposed statue of Vanaraja in the temple of Panchasar Parsvanath at Patan is, as Burgess shown on the strength of the inscription of its pedastal, not of Vanaraja's. Further though there is an umbrella over the statue head indicating royalty, still the mudrasi.e. gestures of the hands of the figure imply preaching, which would be rather strange in the case of a king. (Ag. p. 117. f. n. 4.).
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