ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE
..that Nimbadēvarasa constructed this vasati. It is mentioned also in Śravaṇa Beḷgoḷ inscription.
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The Rūpanārāyaṇa vasati is erected on a high adhishṭhāna. It consists of four parts, viz.
the garbha-gṛiha, the antarāla, the sabhā-maṇḍapa and the ardha-manḍapa.[1] They are all inwardly
rectangular. Only the garbha-gṛiha is star-shaped outwardly, but it is not decorated with sculptures.
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The pillars[2] in the sabhā maṇḍapa are square-shaped at the bottom, then octagonal and
finally round, and support the beams on which the ceiling is erected. They are finely carved,
but contain no sculptures or even decorative scrolls. The garbha-gṛiha has on a high pedestal
a finely wrought standing image of the Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha[3] in black stone, with the
seven heads of a serpent spread over his head. Besides, there are several large images of other
Tīrthaṅkaras sitting in the meditation pose, which are placed in the garbha-gṛiha and the sabhāmaṇḍapa. Their names or lāñchhanas have not been carved on their pedestals, but the pujārī
of the temple identifies them as Śāntinātha, Ṛishabhanātha, Nēminātha and so forth. They
seem to have been installed in the temple in later times. One other image, viz., that of standing
Bāhubalī,[4] is installed in a room on the terrace of the temple. It is of white marble. The
temple has a high māna-stambha in front.
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The second old Jaina temple in Kolhāpur is situated in the back yard of the Mahālakshmī temple. It is now converted into a shrine of the god Śēshaśāyī Vishṇu. This temple faces
north and consists of the ardha-maṇḍapa, the sabhā-maṇḍapa and garbha-gṛiha.[5] A large inscription is engraved on the beams of the ardha- and the sabhā-maṇḍapa. It shows that the shrine
was erected by the aforementioned Nimbadēva sāmanta of Gaṇḍarāditya, and was dedicated to
the Tīrthaṅkara Ādinātha. It is described in the inscription as a lofty structure, adorned with
excellent merchants, quarters and courtesans’ houses and a high māna-stambha.[6] This descripttion appears exaggerated in view of the present modest from of the old shrine. On the other
hand, it appears very unlikely that the heavy beam and the circular ceiling of the sabhāmaṇḍapa have been transplanted here from elsewhere. The māna-stambha has since disappeared,
and an image of Vishṇu reclining on his serpent couch has taken the place of the Tīrthaṅkara
Ādinatha.
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This temple appears unpretentious. The ceiling of the sabhā-maṇḍapa, however, is
circular like that of the Rūpanārāyaṇa temple and has a row of small standing Ṭīrthaṅkara
figures over the beams of the ceiling mentioned above. The spire over the temple has now
disappeared.
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Besides these, there is another Jaina temple[7] at Khidrāpur. It is dedicated to Ṛishabhanātha or Ādīnātha. It is maintained in a good condition. Who constructed this temple
is not definitely known, but it was probably the same Sāmanta Nimbadēvarasa who erected
the two aforementioned temples in Kolhāpur. He seems to have undertaken the construction
of this shrine, when is liege-lord Gaṇḍarāditya commenced the Kōppēśvara temple. The
latter has remained incomplete to this day, but the pious Sāmanta of the Śilāhāra king carried
this shrine to completion. Unlike his two temples in Kolhāpur, this one erected by Nimbadeva
is beautifully decorated with sculptures. It is worthy of note that some of the sculptures used
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Pl. Y, Fig. 31.
See Pl. R, Fig. 22.
Plate S, Fig. 23.
Plate S, Fig. 24.
Plate Z, Fig. 32.
See No. 50, v. 11.
See Pl. T, Fig. 25.
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