Temple of Satrunjaya

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 81

TEMPLES IN THE VALLEY
Plates 22, 23 : The Balabhai and Southern Summit
From a small platfrom behind the Bhima Pandava temple an excellent w view is obtained of the southern summit, with the Balabhai temple in the valley between. This temple stands in an enclosure or tuk 151 feet by 109 feet, with round towers at the corners. It was built “by Sa Kalyanji Kahanji of Bombay” in 1836, and is much of the general plan of the Caumukh, except that the gambhārā is oblong and has a triple spire, and in such cases it has only one door, consequently the veranda round the back is wanting, but there are two stairs to the upper story. The images in such gambhārās are arranged in row along the back, and in this temple number thirty-four of stone, two of metal, one siddha-cakra, two pañcatirthi, and a plate of the nine Grahas or planets. In the ranga mandapa, there are twenty-four images of the Tirthankaras, and Nabhi Raja on an elephant, whilst the upper story contains eighteen images of Caumukh. In the cells near the door, as at the Caumukh, we find Cakresvari Mata and Gomukha Yaksa. The shrine over the entrance is, of course, dedicated to Pundarika.
To the north and south of the entrance there are two temples of secondary size; that on the north side is a Caumukh temple built by Ujambai, the wife of Fatehchand Khusalchand of Bombay in 1846, and dedicated to Sitalanatha. The cells extend along the east and part of the south side and were built by various Sravakas to enshrine a hundred and twenty-three images.
Plate 24 : Roadway in front of the Balabhai Temple
From near the Bhima Pandava, a stair descends by the corner of the Balabhai tuk into the Valley, and a broad passage separates the Balabhai from the Motisah enclosure. The latter has a back entrance from this passage, but a wide smooth path also leads round the south side to the front of the Sugala pole, where a slight descent leads down to the area in front.
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