Temple of Satrunjaya

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

Page 87

The temple is a comparatively small one with a portico in front and dedicated to Sumatinatha, the fifth Tirthankara: on his left sits Rsabhanatha and on the right Santinatha. The shrine has an abundance of elaborate carving about these and the eight other images that occupy it; but though the temple has gone by the name of Jagat Seth Alamchand for the last fifty years at least, in the lap of the image of Sumatinatha there is inscribed "built by Sanghvi Kachara Kika in Samvat 1810", i.e., A.D. 1753. Next to it is a large temple on the road, built by Sah Ravji Abhechand of Randhanapura in 1779, and dedicated to Parsvanatha with the seşaphani or serpent's hood canopy, 139 carved in beautiful white marble. This canopy closely resembles those over the Naga figures at Ajanta and in other Buddhist sculptures, and forms another point of resemblance between the Jaina and Bauddha symbols. Owing to the nature of the material, however, it is much larger and more elaborately carved than is usually the case in existing Bauddha sculptures
Passing a group of temples on the left, which we need not describe, we reach the head of the street or path, looking back from whence, we command a view of portions at least of most of the temples down to the gate.
Plates 36 to 38 : Kumarapala's and Neighbouring Temples
Here the path turns a little to the south terminating in an area round one or two trees. On the south side is the temple of Kumarapala of Anahilapura. It is loftier but somewhat in the style of the Bhulaoni, and forms a fine block with low towers. The door of the shrine is of yellowish stone minutely carved, and over Rsabhadeva is a fine canopy of bluish marble. Inside it has a court and separate shrines, the whole number of putlis or images being eighty-four. Though one of the oldest temples on the hill, it has been so often repaired, if not entirely rebuilt, that it would be difficult to point out any portion that can with certainty be ascribed to the original temple.
In the south-east of the area, a small temple has just been rebuilt, and behind it is the group of temples passed in approaching this point.
On the north side there is a group of temples, two of them built about 1829, the one by Mulaji Puraji Palia of Ratlam and dedicated to Adinatha, containing, among other objects of worship a statue of
Vide ante p.10 note 20. This accompaniment of Parsvanatha is pretty common on the hill, "suggesting", says Tod, "another curious analogy to the Egyptian Hermes, whose symbol was the serpent, and one of his names Phanetes."-Travels
p. 283.