Structural Architecture

The structural architectures of Jainas in Khandagiri and Udayagiri include the apsidal structure at the Udayagiri hill top as well as the ancient ramp found in front of Hati-Gumpha^[1]. Besides, the Jaina temples at Subei, Cuttack, Khandagiri hill etc. and the miniature chaumukhas are noticed throughout the length and breadth of the Odisha are also comes under the realm of Jaina architecture.

Apsidal Structure:

An apsidal structure was unearthed in the 1958 CE at the top of the Udayagiri hill just above the Hathi-Gumpha by the Archaeological Survey of India^[2].This is one of the early specimens of apsidal structure built up of large laterite blocks discovered in east India but also in the country. The entire super structure of the apsidal monument was missing.

The ruins consist of an apsidal structure with an axial length of 23.8m and basal length of 14m. Its outer wall constructed of large laterite blocks, the maximum number of extant courses being eight. Within the structure towards its apse end was a circular wall with only one surviving course of laterite slabs. Between the outer edge and the inner edge of the former was a minimum gap of 1.8m. The space within the apsidal structure save that enclosed by the circular wall was passed with laterite, but towards the northern end where the sand stone bed-rock was the highest, the rock itself was used as the floor after a rough dressing. Post-holes, circular or irregular occurred in the rock and in the pavement indicate the existence of a covered roof resting on posts. A few pottery tiles were also found in the northern corner of the building. Drain fashioned by cutting a channel into the rock and covered by laterite slabs flush was noticed in the northern corner probably designed to take off water from the circular structure.

At a later stage the circular wall was converted into an apsidal structure by the addition of an oblong wall towards its north-east, running roughly parallel to and within the framework of the original apsidal wall. The circular wall was however kept undisturbed. The oblong part of the new structure and a wide opening in each of its northwestern, south-western and north-eastern walls is noticed. An enigmatic feature, related with the complex, but somewhat later in construction, was a semicircular wall its ends meeting the inner faces of the outer apsidal structure near its base. It was built of three rows of laterite blocks placed on edge and supporting one another, the inner most blocks beings lay obliquely on the old floor. An earlier oblong structure evidently unconnected with the complex and partly overlaid by the circular walls seems to have been the first structure on the site. Its wall had been reduced to or a course of laterite when the circular wall was raised.

[Fig. 23 After, IAR, 1958-59, Delhi, p.39]

There is a square platform with recessed corners shabbily built of laterite and sand stone blocks on the debris over the south-eastern face to serve as a step belonging to the last phase of the occupation on the site. Inside, a smaller square was also built of sand stone and laterite blocks the intervening space between it and outer wall being filled with earth.

The pottery found in the filling of the floor was red and ill-baked and rubbed off easily. A neolithic celt of dolerite with an oblong section was also found amidst the laterite soil forming the filling of the floor.

On the basis circumstantial evidences the apsidal structure attributed to Kharavela who brought back from Magadha the Jina of Kalinga that had been taken away by the Nandas and built some structures of stone on the Kumari hill (Udayagiri) where he also excavated a number of cave-dwellings for the Jaina heretics.

Ramp:

An ancient ramp built of laterite blocks measuring three meters wide, rises from the foot of the hill of Udayagiri and reaches the terrace in front of the Hati-Gumpha and is supported on either side by retaining walls. It is wedge-shaped in plan showing greater width near the head than at the tail^[3].

Jaina Temples at Subei, Koraput:

The village Subei^[4] is located at a distance of 15km from Similiguda and is about 35km from Koraput on the main road leading to Nandapur. A group of ten Jaina temples made of stone masonry are standing in the midst of a shrub forest within an oval enclosure with a low wall around it near the village at the foot of Pangiri/Panagiri hill. But, at present there are only remains of 6 temples (4 east facing, 2 west facing) are found and among them only two shrines are in good state of preservation. The traces of the compound walls are only visible on the ground and the area is overgrown with shrubs. The monuments at Subei are under the protection of State Archaeology Department.

These shrines are small in dimensions (about 6 to 9m) and simple in ground plan as well as in decorations. Each structure built of sandstone is tri-ratha on plan with a single low pyramidal tower crowned by an amalaka. There is no trace of mandapa in front of the shine. The pabhaga is low in height and have only three plain moldings devoid of any carvings. Decorative motifs like square and circular rosettes enclosed within dotted squares in low relief are traceable near door-jambs in two shrines (northern shrine). There is no provision of niche in central projection (raha) for parsvadevatas. Exterior walls of temples are devoid of sculptural and floral decorations. All the shrines contain slabs carved with Jaina Tirthankaras and Sasandevis of about 0.75m to 1.06m height. But all the sculptures are highly weather beaten and outlines are blurred. From the entire hoard, twelve` sculptures can be identified as three Sasanadevi figures of sixteen armed Chakresvari, twelve armed Rohini and two armed Ambika, one image of Mahavira and nine images of Risabhanatha.

Of the two intact temples, the southern one has an image of Risabhanatha, while the northern one has two images i.e. Risabhanatha and Mahavira.

Lower portions of four temples are survived only, which were repaired by State Archaeology and makes difficult to distinguish between the original and the recent additions. Among the four shrines, two east facing shrines contain one Jaina Sasanadevi image in each while the west facing shrines contains Risabhanatha image and the other one has three images of Risabhanatha.

Ruins of another temple in the shape of a mound can also be noticed about 150mt south-west of the group of temple. An image of Risabhanatha is noticed on the top of the mound.

Kachela, Koraput:

At Kachela^[5], remains of a Jaina temple with seven to eight feet high along with two Jaina relics within the sanctum have been reported at the foot hill of Deo Donger. It has only a single plain vimana and no trace of the porch found in front it. In and around the temple large number of dressed stones and parts of the amalakasila are lying scattered. The sanctum of the dilapidated temple is locally known as asthana mandapa.

Ancient Temples at Koisali, Mayurbhanj:

A dilapidated Jaina temple^[6] is reported at Koisali village near Badasai in Mayurbhanja district along with an image of Parsvanatha, the 23^rd Tirthankara in April 1907. The site has revealed the existence of an entire foundation and a portion of the ground floor of an ancient Jaina temple. The temple facing north appears to have a sanctum (garbhagriha) and a jagamohana. The ruins of the temple scattered in a place which measures 27m in length on western side, 31m on the eastern side, 17m on the northern side and 26m on the southern side respectively. A large amalaka, specimens of pottery and iron objects are the other materials discovered amidst the ruins.

The Digambara Jaina Temple at Choudhury Bazar, Cuttack:

The Jaina temple at Choudhury Bazar has a rekha vimana and pidha jagamohana of Kalingan School of architecture. A small chamber between the temple and jagamohana serves the purpose of antarala and has a pidha superstructure. Each shrines from jagamohana to the sanctum sanctorum act as a jinalaya viz., Padmaprabhu jinalaya, Parsvanatha jinalaya and Chandraprabhu jinalaya. It is situated within a spacious compound and having dvajastamba at the entrance. The temple faces east but the major entrance is from the north door of the jagamohana.^[7]

The main temple is in rekha order and stands over a raised plinth. The temple is in pancharatha on plan and panchanga bada in elevation. The temple has a thick coat of lime plaster and stucco figures are found in few places. Miniature angasikhars of stucco have been designed in the pabhaga, tala jangha and upara jangha. The two fold bandhana is decorated with rahu mukhas just above the miniature angasikharas and flower design at the varandha portion. Peacock with foliated feather design has been noticed just above the two fold bandhana portion. The narrow recesses between rahapaga-anuratha paga and anuratha-kanika pagas are relieved with stucco figures of birds, animals, musicians, erotic figures, acrobatic figures, shoulders, female figures and nude figures in kayotsarga mudras. Each rathas at the gandi portion is decorated with angasikharas surmounted by projecting lions (3 nos. in each pagas), where the projected lions at the rahapaga is much larger than the side one at the end of the curvilinear sikhara particularly at the visama portion shows depiction of five narrow mouldings and above the visama are placed at the each corner crowning elements of a temple consisting of the beki, ghanta, amlaka, khapuri and kalasa. The mastaka portion of the main temple is represented by beki, ghanta, amlaka, kalasa and ayudha as the banner/ dvaja. There is no parsvadevata niches in the main temple but large size of screened windows have been provided at the northern and southern sides of the main temple.

The jagamohana built on the same platform has a square ground plan and a pyramidal superstructure. The tiers on the superstructure are seven in number and each tier from its outer edge displays projecting lions. The bada has five vertical divisions and mastaka above beki represents the same elements like that of the main shrine. The jagamohana had originally four openings but the one to the south is closed converted to a jinalaya i. e. Padmpravu jinalaya for preservation for a few Jaina relics. The western openings lead to the sanctum. The other two on the east and north are used for entry and exists for the devotees. The lintel of the door-jambs displays the figure of a seated Parsvanatha flanked by two attendants instead of the conventional navagrahas and Gaja-Lakshmi figure found in Hindu religious shrine.

Besides, a number of ancient Jaina sculptures and chaumukhas, the temple preserves a large number of marble, brass and silver sculptures of recent made donated by Jaina devotees and a number of Yantra mandala viz., Rishi Mandala yantra, Sarva Siddhi yantra and Jinavani yantra, etc.

Svetambara Jaina Temple, Alamachand Bazar, Cuttack:

The Jaina temple at Alamachand Bazar was constructed the year 1974 CE following the general feature of the Jaina temples of Rajasthan^[8]. The temple is situated within a narrow courtyard and has a very high plinth almost sharing with the front apartment. The lower parts of the main shrine are vertically divided into five projections, the central ones of which contain seated Jaina Tirthankara figures within niches. The superstructure above the bada is formed of miniature towers and the crowning part above the beki is supported by heads of squattish human figures placed on the visama on each direction. The top most parts of the temple consist of the amalaka, khapuri and kalasa. The dhvajastambha is fixed near by the post meant for the lightening conductor.

The porch in front is having a square bada and dome shaped roof. It has door openings on all directions and except the one leading to the sanctum others are flanked by windows. The doors in their front have sun-breakers designed in pyramidal roof on well-polished marble pillars. The entire courtyard is paved with glazed tiles and mosaic. The inner chamber on a high pedestal preserves the images of Neminatha, Mahavira and Munisuvrata all in yogasana pose. No trace of navagraha slab is available on the lintel and in its place a seated figure of a Tirthankara is depicted.

Jaina Temple, Khandagiri Hill, Khordha:

The Khandagiri hill is crowned by a Jaina temple with a porch in front. The temple is constructed in pidha style, 7.6m in height by Manju Choudhry and his nephew Bhabani Dadu of Cuttack, Jaina merchants of Digambara sect^[9]. The sanctum of the temple contains many loose sculptures viz., sixteen number of small chlorite Jaina sculptures, one sandstone image of Risabhanatha, a damaged chaumukha and have been collected from the hills and its neighborhoods.

This temple comprises two components i.e. vimana and the jagamohana over a low height three-fold pista, both built in the pidha style of Kalingan a school of architecture and plastered with thick coat of lime. The temple was most probably built over an earlier shrine as presumed by Kittoes and Sterling which substantiated by vestiges of earlier structures at the site, hundreds of monolithic miniature shrines, most of them having at one of their faces the figure of a Jaina Tirthankara.

The vimana is built on a three-fold high plinth is pancharatha on plan and panchanga bada in elevation and has a pidha superstructure having seven receding tiers towards the top. Rampart lions are depicted at the third and fifth tiers of the rahapaga on each side at the gandi portion. The parsvadevatas niches on the rahapagas are formed balustrade windows. The lower jangha of bada has depiction of khakhara-mundis whereas pidha-mundis are noticed at the upper jangha portion. The padukanula with a makara head is noticed on the base of the northern wall. The mastaka of the temple which envisaged above the pyramidal tiers consist of the beki, ghanta, beki, amalaka, khapuri and kalasa. The temple facing east is opened through the eastern wall to the jagamohana. The door-jambs and lintel at the entrance of the temple are plain and devoid of graha panel and attendant figures. The simhasana in the garbhagriha preserves the recently installed marble figure of Risabhanatha along with a number of Jaina images of earlier period.

The jagamohana is triratha on plan and panchangabada in elevation. The lower and upper jangha of the bada is carved with the usual khakara-mundis and pidha-mundis respectively. The gandi portion has five receding tiers and lions are projected at the rahapaga particularly on the third tier of each side. Two lions are also flanked the crowning elements at the top facing to the northern and southern directions. The crowning elements as usual consist of the beki, ghanta, beki, amalaka, khapuri and kalasa. The main entrance to the temple complex through the jagamohana is on the east, however entrances are also noticed on the northern and southern wall. The inner walls of both the jagamohana and the vimana are devoid of any decorations whereas, the simhasana and floors of both the shrines are all covered with white marble slabs. There is a fine terrace in front of the temple about fifty feet square with a raised masonry seat all round. On either sides of the temple are also miniature shrines also in pyramidal design.

The newly built Shri 1008 Parsvanatha temple was commissioned in the year 1950 and the presiding deity is a colossal image of Parsvanatha in black marble. The basement, corner pillars and crowning sikharas at top are all fashioned in marble. The crowning element above the roof of the shrine is formed of a series of angasikharas. Another recently built temple having the same name is found north of it. It is a flat roofed cement concrete building and has a conical superstructure at the center of the flat roof. The presiding deities of the temple are two number of Parsvanatha images made of black marble and two numbers Mahavira images and one Chandraprabha image of white marble. Small flat roofed RCC structure with conical super structure is also noticed at the south of the Risabhanatha temple and preserves many Jaina images of early periods.

A number of recently built Jaina temples are also found in Odisha viz., Jaina temple at Jaunliapapati of Cuttack, a small pidha temple at Podasingidi in Keonjhar district presently known as Chandi temple, single pidha structure at Choudwar by the mother of Padmashree L.N. Sahu as well as a small temple at Bhanapur near Pratapnagari. Besides, with financial help of Digambara Jaina foundations, Odisha State Archaeology has built several sculpture sheds to preserve some important Jaina images at the places like (i) Bhagalpur, district Khordha (ii) Pratapanagari, district Cuttack (iii) Jamunda, district Koraput, (iv) Hatadiha, district Jajpur and Podasingidi of Keonjhar district.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

R.P. Mohapatra, op.cit., pp.150-152.

[2]:

A. Ghosh (ed.), Indian Archaeology-A Review (1958-59), Delhi, 1959, pp.38-39.

[3]:

R.P. Mohapatra, op.cit., p.152.

[4]:

S. Panda, “A Note on the Jaina Temple at Subei”, in G. Mohanty and et al. (eds.), Cultural Heritage of Odisha: Koraput District, Bhubaneswar, 2008, pp.161-163.

[5]:

JAHRS, Vol. VI, pp.08-14.

[6]:

N.N. Vasu, The Archaeological Survey of Mayurbhanja, Vol.I, Delhi, 1981, pp.45-46.

[7]:

R.P. Mohapatra, op.cit., pp.159-160.

[8]:

Ibid.

[9]:

R.L. Mitra, The Antiquities of Orissa, Vol.II, Calcutta, 1880, p.64.