Sri Jaina Narayana Temple/Jaina Temple/ ஜினா நாராயண கோயில் / சமணர் கோயில், Pattadakal, Bagalkot District, Karnataka.

The visit to this Jaina Temple at Pattadakal was a part of the “Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta and Aihole temples Heritage visit” organized by வரலாறு விரும்பிகள் சங்கம் Varalaru Virumbigal Sangam – VVS and எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு, from 24^th December to 28^th December 2022.  I sincerely thank the organizers, Mrs. Radha, Mrs. Nithya Senthil Kumar, and Mr. Senthil Kumar.

A 200 meters further eastwards from the excavated ancient site of Pattadakal group of temples on the banks of the river Malaprabha, is an ancient stone Jaina temple of architectural merit. This Jaina temple is believed to be from the 9^th century. The Jain temple follows the Kasivisvesvara Temple’s architecture. It may be noted that the dates suggested here for some of these temples are, however, provisional. Eminent scholars vary by decades in dating

ஜினா நாராயண கோயில்

இக்கோயில் 9ஆம் நூற்றாண்டில் ராஷ்டிரகூட அரசர் இரண்டாம் கன்னரதேவன் காலத்தில் கட்டப்பட்டதாக கருதப்படுகிறது. கல்யாணி சாளுக்கியரின் காலத்தில் கட்டடப்பட்டது என்ற கருத்தும் நிலவுகிறது. கிழக்கு நோக்கி அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த ஜினாலயம் திராவிட கலைப்பாணியில் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. துவிதள விமானத்தின் மேலே சிகரம் உள்ளது. அதற்கு மேலே கலசம் காணப்படவில்லை. சதுர வடிவ கருவறையின் உள்ளே சிவலிங்கம் காணப்படுகின்றது. இது சமணம் சுருங்கத் தொடங்கிய காலத்தில் சிவலிங்கம் நிர்மானிக்கப்பட்டு இருக்கலாம் என்று கருதப்படுகின்றது. முக மண்டபத்தில் கடைசல் வேலப்பாடமைந்த துண்களும், வாயிலின் இருபுறமும் பெரியானை சிற்பங்களும் காணப்படுகின்றன.  

பட்டடக்கல்லில் உள்ள கோயில்களுள் இது ஒன்று மட்டுமே சமண சமயத்திற்கென்று எடுக்கப்பட்ட ஆலயமாகும். சமணர் கோயில் என்பதன் சாட்சியாக தற்போது தீர்த்தங்கரரின் புடைப்புச் சிற்பம் ஒன்று மட்டுமே கருவறையின் வெளிப்புறச்சுவரில் காணப்படுகின்றது.

 Lathe-turned-mandapa pillars

ARCHITECTURE

Vimana's construction followed Dravida architecture. Originally dedicated to a Jaina Tirthankara, this Jinalaya, locally known as the "Jaina Narayana," is raised on a characteristic high adhistana. The exterior walls are symmetrically relieved into offsets, mitigating to some degree the monotonous plain surface.

In the mukha mandapa, rather unusually large is a bench with a back support all along the edge, i.e., kakshasana. On the exterior side of the back support, in the upper zone, is a series of ghata pallava, an auspicious symbol of prosperity. humans, dwarfs, Sankha Nidhi, and the Padma Nidhi symbolizing wealth and prosperity, flanking the entrance, and a few sculptural panels. On the kakshasana, at regular intervals, are the circular pillars without a base. In the interior, there are fully developed pillars comprising, from the bottom to the top, a molded base (pitha), a shaft (kanda), a square block (Padma bandha), a kalasa, a heavy, prominent, circular cushion-like kumbha, a tulip-shaped member (idaje), and an entablature (phalaka) up to corbels/ pothyal (potika or bodige), all plain.

Generally, in this period, there are narrative panels on the square padma-bandha zone. On either side of the doorway to the sabha mandapa is a life-size elephant rider flanking the ornate dwara bandha vertically relieved into four shakhas without naga sakha. There is no central block (lalata bimba) in the lintel. In the squarish sabha mandapa are four central pillars (without the uppermost two members), heavy and plain. The antarala is with two pillars in the open façade and big shallow niches in the side walls meant for the display of appropriate sculptural panels. Accessible from the antarala is sandhara pradakshina patha. The most attractive architectural part is the crocodile arch (makara torana) crowning the dwara bandha of the garbha griha. The makaras have long, floriated tails intricately carved. In the garbha griha, is now small Siva Linga was interpolated in the later period, probably sometime after the care and patronage to the Jinalaya dwindled.

A Shiva Linga in the sanctum sanctorum

The image of Tirthankara on the Sanctum wall

Right over the garbha griha rises a retreating dvi tala vimana crowned with a square sikhara that carries on top a kalasa and suchi one on the other. In this temple, the first storey is, in reality, a garbha griha that originally enshrined an image of Tirthankara; now, a Shiva Linga is installed. Even the dvara bandha is big enough, similar to that of the ground garbha griha.

HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS

This temple is stylistically from the mid-late 9th century, probably during Rashtrakuta Krishna II's reign, which lasted from 878 to 914 CE. Architecturally, the monument is impressively massive.

During 2002-04, the temple was restored. The missing exterior wall of the pradakshina patha, part of the kakshasana, flight of steps in the front, and cracks were carefully dismantled and restored.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE CHALUKYA DYNASTY

Jayasimha, a Chalukya King, probably the founder, carved out a region and ruled. He was immediately followed by Ranaraga, who expanded and consolidated the kingdom. However, not much is known about these two Chalukyan kings. It was Pulakesi I, the third king in the genealogical line, who made Badami, the capital of the kingdom, in 543 CE and built a fort on the top of what is now known as the North Hill. His son, Kirtivarma (1), with the assistance of Mangalesa, his younger brother, conquered the neighboring kingdoms of the Kadambas in the southwest, the Mauryas of the Konkana, the Kalachuris, etc.  It was his celebrated grandson Pulakesi-II who extended the political boundaries of the kingdom far and wide from the Narmada to the Kaveri. He installed his younger brother Jayasimhavarma in the north comprising the Gujarat region and Kubja Vishnuvardhana in the eastern division while he ruled the central part from Badami. However, he met with a crushing defeat at the hands of Pallava Narasimhvarman of Kanchi in 642 CE. Badami was 'terra incognito' for the next twelve years. In 654 CE, Vikramaditya I, Pulakesi's son, succeeded in re-conquering the kingdom from the Pallavas. The kingdom grew further and was prosperous, strong, and generally peaceful under the next three rulers in succession, namely: Vinayaditya, Vijayaditya, and Vikramaditya-II, despite their frequent, successful wars, particularly with their arch enemy, the Pallavas, and others in the north. Kirtivarman-II, the son of Vikramaditya-II, though capable and experienced in wars and administration, succumbed to the 756 CE onslaught by Dantidurga, the Rashtrakuta chief ruling the Ellora region. This ended the Badami Chalukyan rule. The Badami region thus became a part of the Rashtrakuta kingdom.

By 973 CE, the Chalukyas, till then keeping a low profile at the appropriate occasion, seized and rose to power, supplanting the Rashtrakutas. Later, Kalyana in Bidar district, Karnataka, had the fortune of becoming the capital of the kingdom and continued to be so till the ruling dynasty fell in about 1189 CE. However, Pattadakal gained some importance by becoming the headquarters of an administrative division known as Kisukadu 70, ruled by Nolamba Pallava Permanadi Singhanadeva as mandalika (feudatory) under Someshvara-II, Bhuvanaikamalla, the Chalukyan king, around 1070 CE, and a hundred years later by Chavumda II of the Sindha family, a mandalika to Noormadi Taila-III, the Chalukya king. Chavumda’s senior queen, Demaladevi, and their son Achideva, under his position as prince, were then enjoying  Pattadakal.

Ref

1. A Handbook on the World Heritage Series, Badami, published by the Archaeological Survey of India. 

2. A Handbook on Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole issued by VVS in Tamil. 

3. Temple architecture and Art of Early Chalukyas Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, Aihole by George Michell.

HOW TO REACH
Pattadakal group of temples is 13 km from Aihole, 17 km from Badami, and 459 km from Bengaluru.

The nearest Railway Station is Badami. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---