Santinatha image at Akhandalesvara Temple, Jajpur Town

The Akhandalesvara temple built over an ancient temple is located in Bada Bazar chowk, close to the bus-stand of Jajpur town. A beautiful standing image of Santinatha is noticed on the right side wall of the temple facing east.

Santinatha:

The stunning image of Santinatha measuring 1.14m in height is standing in kayotsarga posture over a lotus pedestal. His lanchana deer is clearly depicted on the pedestal. The back side of the deer is depicted with three female kneeling devotees and one child who are immediately standing behind the lanchana. The front side of the lanchana depicted with the two armed Sasanadevi Mahamanasi. The Sasanadevi is depicted in padmasana with a pair of elephants offering sacred water from pitchers held in their uplifted trunks. The Tirthankara image is flanked by two attendants at bottom and two flying vidyadharas at the top on each side. Above the flying vidyadharas cymbals and drums played with invisible hands of gandharvas are also carved an either side of the mulanayaka. The image has hair of curl knot and a bulge at the centre. He has a circular halo behind his head. A tri-linear umbrella is clearly depicted above the halo which is also surmounted by branches of Nandi vriksya. The most interesting feature of this Santinatha image is the depiction of astagrahas, four on each side sitting in conventional yogasana posture on the sides. The image is in good state of preservation though the image is coloured with oil paint by the priest.