Temples of Kumbhariya

Author(s): M A Dhaky, U S Moorty
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 66

The Temples in Kumbhariyā
Bhandarkar's Report has been extensively used by several subsequent writers in Gujarātī. Henry Cousens' critical remarks in the infra notes on Bhandarkar's observations at a few points in the selfsame Report are both perceptive and pertinent. They will be alluded to at relevant points in the discussions in the body of this text.
4. Next is the Prācīna Jaina Lekha Sangraha (Pt. 2) by Jinavijaya, published in Gujarātī in the Pravartaka Śrī Kāntivijaya Jaina Itihāsamālā, No. 6, Śrī Jaina Atmānanda Sabhā-Bhāvnagar, Bhāvnagar 1921. This work, for the first time, incorporates some 30 inscriptions (there Insc. 277-306) and gives their translation with discussion thereof on pp. 165-185. For the data on the temples, however, the compiler had largely used Bhandarkar's Report.
5. In 1936, Silpi Jagannātha Ambārāma (Somapurā), Amdāvād, wrote his Brhad Silpaśāstra in Gujarātī wherein he incorporated the ground plans of all Jaina temples in Kumbhāriyā (his pp. 107-111), but nowhere does he refer to those in his text, nor did he make even a cursory allusion to those temples. 6. Muni Jayantavijaya's Arbuda-Prācīna-Jaina-lekhasandoha (Abū Pt. 2), was published from Ujjain in V.S. 1994 (A.D. 1938). Therein are five inscriptions from Delvādā (four of A.D. 1189 and one of A.D. 1279) which refer to Arāsana. (Vide there Insc. 124, 129, 141, 144 and 297.) 7. Soon after, Narmadāśankara Mūlajābhāi Somapurā published his Śilparatnākara (Dhrängadhrā 1939) in which he, perhaps for the first time, published some photographs of the details of the Kumbhāriyā temples, captured through some 14 pictures. Most of these relate to the details of the Mahāvīra temple, for instance, the main temple's sikhara, the vedikā of its trika's porch, its rangamandapa's pillars, the Padmanābha vitāna of its trika as well as some four lateral Samatala ceilings: Also included are the rangamandapa's Sabhāmandāraka vitāna of the Sāntinātha (originally dedicated to Rşabhadeva) temple, and the back view of the prāsāda of the Sambhavanātha (originally sāntinātha) temple. However, he nowhere relates those to or even casually refers to them in his exposition of the text proper. 8. In 1947, from Bhāvnagar, Mathuradās Chhaganlāl Seth published a booklet entitled Śrī Kumbhāriyājī Tirtha urfe Arāsana in Gujarāti which gives information in very general terms on the history and buildings at Kumbhariyā, the routes of approach, the local facilities then available, etcetera. 9. Muni Jayantavijaya wrote his Arbudācala Pradaksiņā (Abu Pt. 4) (Guj.) published in Śrī Yaśovijaya Jaina Granthamāļā, Bhāvnagar V.S. 2004 (A.D. 1948) in