________________
530
The Structural Temples of Gujarat
supersctructure over maņdapa is covered with thick stucco and so does not retain its original form. The mandovara-niches contain sculptures of goddesses viz. Parvati on North, Vaišnavı on South and Brāhmāņi on west. The temple faces east.
The old Siva temple contains Caitya-arch window ornaments in its supersctructure which is stepped-out pyramidal in design, This fact ascribes the temple a much more earlier date.
Visavada
There is a group of temples 57 in the village, the site being known as Mūla Dwārkā. Most of the temples are dedicated to Sira. The principal two temples face each other. The temple facing west is at present popularly known as the temple of Dwarkādhish, evidently on account of the image of Ranchhodji, installed in it. But the temple was originally dedicated to Nilakantha Mahadeva* whose linga is enshrined in the centre of the garbhagriha. The image of Ranchhodji, installed in the niche in the back wall is obviously a later addition inserted in place of the usual image of Päravati the consort of Śiva.
The other temple, facing east is dedicated to Siddheśvara Mahadeva.
Around these two temples there were twelve subordinate shrines, out of which ten are extant, the rest two having perished. At present the Nilakantha temple has four subordinate shrines each in each corner, two on the back facing west and two in the front facing south and north respectively. The Siddheśvara temple is surrounded by six subordinate shrines, a pair of them lying in each corner at the back and facing east and the two others lying at the two corners in front and facing west.
The whole group rests on a high plinth, with its main entrance and flight of steps in the north.
57. Here Figs. 157, 158. * Nilakantha temple referred to by Cousens in his notes on Visavada is probably identical with this temple (vide SMTK. p. 44.)
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
