The Visit to this Jain Temple Complex at Halebidu, in Karnataka, was a part of “Karnataka State, Hoysala Period Shiva and temple’s visit”- between 28th - 30th July 2023, organised by தொண்டை மண்டல வரலாற்று ஆய்வு சங்கம் " திருக்கச்சி" FB Group. Included in the tentative list of world Heritage site of UNESCO.
This walled complex containing of three Jaina basadi / temples of the Hoysala period and a stepped well. The basadis are located in close proximity to the Dorasamudhra lake. The Parshvanatha Basadi, the Adinatha Basadi and the Shanthinatha Basadi are the three Jaina shrines containing tall images of the Jaina Tirthankaras. The Parshvanatha Basadi, is the largest of them also has niches for idols of the 24 thirthankaras or saints of Jainism.
PARSHVANATHA BASADI.
This temple had originally a Sanctum sanctorum / garbhagriha, an open sukhanası ( later on provided with a doorway ) and a square navaranga mandapa. In front of the last and not structurally connected with it, is the mukha mantapa. A small insignificant mahadvara leads into the compound in which is first seen a star-shaped balıpitha / balipeedam ( lotus-plan, with about 32 petals).
The mukha mantapa is a square structure, 17.5 feet high, with the ceiling supported by 32 rounded lathe-turned pillars beautifully ornamented. All round runs a stone bench, outside which is a slanting railed parapet with sculptures on the panels. Two large soapstone elephants support the entrance of the mukha mantapa.
Sculptured figures are now found on the railing which now exists only to the south of the mukha mantapa, the rest being lost. The eastern panels show a king in durbar with dancers and drummers. A servant goes to the queen, salutes her and she dresses herself and is brought by force ( like Draupadi ) by the king's guards to the Court. The other panels show two ladies conversing with a man holding a sword, a lady with a parrot and a Husband and his wife conversing. These are evidently installed in wrong place during reconstruction / restoration after the muslims invasion.
The western slab also shows a king in durbar enjoying a dance, a soldier and his lady with a parrot, and a lady at toilet. These appears to be fragments referring to the early lives of the Tirthankaras.
The central square of the mukha mantapa is supported by four thick and eight thin pillars, which are all finely ornamented with beaded work. The central ceiling has a flat slab in the middle supported on three octagons and a square. On the frieze of the central slab are in addition rows of elephants, horses and footmen, and dancers.
On the north, there are two Jain scenes… (1) a king and a queen seated, (2) five persons meeting together and all of them standing in water half merged (Not identified). Another panel shows a Jaina seated with hands raised, a kingly personage, ( perhaps an Arhant ), and a herd of deer looking on ( Story to be identified ). In the centre, however, is a divine personage described locally as Bhuvanendra Yaksha. He is probably Parsvanatha as a Prince. His left hand is raised and the right hand damaged. He has a seven-hooded cobra over his head and a princely person sits in sukhasana at each of his feet, while the gods and Yakshas fly about near his head. This group is identical with the one in the navaranga, where it is better preserved.
Navaranga mandapa Ceiling …..
The central ceiling is a beautiful structure with three octagons and a square and flat top slab. Though the lower surfaces have only mukha mantapa, yet it is very much finer and more elaborate. On the vertical faces over the lower octagon are the eight Dikpalas / ashtadikpalakas, each with dancers and musicians in front and soldiers behind. In the next higher octagon and the one above it and also on the inner faces of the slabs of the squares there are the 24 Jain Tirthankaras, each seated in the characteristic yogasana with a Yaksha to the light and the corresponding goddess to the left, and with worshippers on each side. The top slab is designed and carved identically with the one in the mukha mantapa but is, in fact, more worthy of detailed study. The central deity holds a bow in the left hand and a sankha in the right hand. In the south- east corner of the navaranga, there is a large image of a Yaksha with fat belly and dangling curved lips. His build is like that of a Ganesa with a human head. His right hand holds a lotus and the left the matanga-phala. He appears to be Dharanedhara-yaksha
Parsvanatha Image
The sukhanasi is entered between two large pillars and has an image in the south-west corner of a Jain goddess holding flower buds in the right hand and fruit in the left. She is probably Kushmandini / Ambika Yakshini. A large plain doorway with a Jain image on the lintel leads between diverging walls and two plain round pillars to the garbhagriha / sanctum Sanctorum. Here stands a colossal image, about 14 feet high, of the 23rd Tirthankara, Parsvanatha, with a seven-hooded cobra over his head. The absolutely naked body of the deity is perfect according to the Indian ideal of a Yogi. The hair is short and curly and beautiful in its ringlets. The face has a benign sympathetic smile. The neck has three folds. The shoulders are broad, the waist small and the limbs well proportioned, rounded and tapering. On the right side of the god there is a male deity standing with a three-hooded cobra above his head. On the left is a goddess similarly standing with a similar cobra. Of her four hands one is broken ( broken, goad, pasa and phala ). Both the gods wear the sacred thread / yagnopaveetha, kiritas, makara-kundalas and other ornaments. The makara torana with serpentine arch has the eight Dikpalas /ashtadikpalakas to the right and left with drummers and musicians in other convolutions. Behind the god is the serpentine body of the seven-hooded cobra supporting the image. The garbhagriha / sanctum sanctorum ceiling has a simple large padma medallion.
Dharanedhara-yaksha
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
This Basadi was built by Boppa Deva son of Gangaraja and consecrated by pontiff Nayakiritti Siddhanta Chakravarti, during the reign of Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana in 1133 CE. The construction and consecration of the temple coincided with the victory of the ruler and the birth of his son Narasimha-I, thereby the deity being named as Vijaya Parshvanatha.
ADINATHA BASADI
The middle temple of Adinatha is a small one with a garbhagriha / sanctum sanctorum, an open sukhanası and a porch/ mukha mandapa. The porch is typically Hoysala with its elephants, two round pillars, ornamented pot-stone ceiling and a stone bench. The railings are missing. The navaranga doorway which has the usual ornamental bands and pilasters has Jain figures on the lintel with a lion on the pedestal. The navaranga has four square pillars with sixteen-sided fluted shafts. There are two canopies against the south wall, both of which have rounded Hoysala pillars and sikharas of the Hoysala type. Under the east canopy on a base having a crescent moon is a beautiful Hoysala image of Sarada with rosary, goad, pasa and pustaka. It has a smiling face and is not correctly Padmavati. The image under the west canopy has disappeared. In its place is now kept on a padma peeda a round panel containing the footprints of some Tirthankara. The prints are of natural size, incuse and very natural looking.
The Sanctum Sanctorum doorway has a plain but well designed lintel of pure black stone ( rarely used ) with an inscription upon it. The garbhagraha / sanctum Sanctorum has a fine pedestal with a lion seated in front and other lions in the panels Against the back wall there is a fine double torana with the eight Dikpalas in its convolutions. On each side of the pedestal is placed a beautiful small potstone elephant brought in from elsewhere and kept here. On the pedestal itself is engraved an inscription. The original image of Adinatha which was seated here is now kept in the Santinatha Basadi, since it is mutilated. A small standing image is now worshipped in its place. The temple was built during Vishnuvardhana’s reign ( Belur inscription 335).
HISTORY & INSCRIPTIONS
The inscription on the pedestal and on the doorframe of the Sanctum Sanctorum suggests that the temple was originally not of Adinatha, but that of Mallinatha. It also mentions that it was Heggade Mallimayya disciple of Subhachandra Siddhantadeva constructed and consecrated the image of Mallinatha.
SHANTINATHA BASADI
This is a plain structure equal in size to the Parsvanatha Basadi, but it has instead of the mukha mantapa a very large porch of the Vijayanagar period constructed out of roughly shaped old materials.
The navaranga pillars are similar to those in the Parsvanatha Basadi but are not ornamented, several portions being un-worked The ceiling consists of six plain octagons placed over one another cornerwise with a square flat slab on top.
The open sukhanası entrance has two plain round pillars and here is seated the image of Adinatha with its head broken.
The garbhagriha / sanctum sanctorum is a plain structure with two flights of steps leading up to the back of the god, it has a plain octagonal ceiling placed corner wise. The torana is of stone and is comparatively plain and coated with lime. The image which 18 about 14 feet high is similar to that of Parsvanatha. On either side of it are the usual male and female Yaksha and Yakshini.
On the pedestal of the image is an inscription ( Belur 334 ). In the navaranga against the east wall are two turrets with inscriptions consisting epitaphs of Jain images
In front of the temple there is a large pillar / manasthamba, about 20 feet high, with a rounded shaft and a Yaksha in a shrine on the top.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The inscription engraved on the pedestal of the Shantinatha image dated to 1256 CE mentions the construction of this Basadi during the reign of Hoysala king Narasimha.
COMMON INSCRIPTIONS
Inscriptions at Parshvanatha basadi (East to West) शिलालेख, पार्श्वनाथ बसदी First Inscription
This inscription dated to 954 CE belonging to the rule of Butuga, the Ganga king records the setting up of a nisidi as Parokshavineya in memory of Moni-bhatara, a disciple of Gunachandra-bhatara, who was himself the disciple of Gunasagara bhatara of the Kondakundanvaya. It was caused by Kiriya Moni-bhatara, the disciple of Abhayanandi-pandita. Further, it states that Moni-bhatara received Kellangere from Ballapa, more by pleasing him than by valour. The record was written by Sridharayya and engraved by Balluga, son of Poleyammoja, the sculptor of the Basadi and dated to 954 CE during the rule of Butuga, the Ganga king.
Second Inscription
This inscription records the visit of King Narashima III on 26th November 1254 CE to the Parsavanatha Basadi. He made an offering to God Vijaya-Parsva and saw the epigraph installed there which mentioned the genealogy of his family and the same was read over to him. Then, having learnt that the enclosure built by Mayiduna Padmideva had fallen into ruins since long, he got it repaired and made it over for the services of God Vijaya-Parsvadeva for the prosperity of the kingdom.
Third Inscription
This inscription dated 1638 CE, refers to the rule of Venkatadri-nayaka, the Belur chief and registers an agreement entered between the Saivas and Jaina community. The Saivas was headed by Basavappadeva of Halebidu, Pattadadeva of Pushpagiri and others and the settis of the Jaina community of Belura-rajya by Padmanna-setti, son of Devappa-setti of Hasana. A dispute aroused between the two communities when Huchchappadeva stamped the seal of linga on the pillars of the basadi of Vijaya-Parsvanatha and the same was erased by Vijayappa. This dispute was settled and it was agreed that the Jain community should be allowed to perform worship, decorations, illuminations, ablutions and other Jaina ceremonies according to the traditional custom in the Vijaya-Parsvanatha basadi. The inscription also mentions that the mantri (minister) Krishnappayya, son of the mantri Kalappayya played an effective role in the settlement of the dispute.
Fourth Inscription
The inscription dated to 1133 CE records that Boppadeva, son of Gangaraja, erected a jinalaya named Drohagharattajinalaya as parokshavinaya to his father. It mentions that pontiff Nayakirtti-siddhantachakravartti, consecrated God Parsvanatha and after consecration, the Nayakirtti took the consecrated food (sesha) to Vishnuvardhana at Bankapura, where the king was victorious against his enemies and also got the news of the birth of a son. Thus, he was very much pleased when he met the pontiff and informed him that by the grace of God Parsvanatha, he had obtained both a victory and a son and named him Vijaya-Narasimhadeva. He made a grant of the village Javagallu in Asandi-nadu to provide for offerings for the worship of God Vijaya Parshvanatha and the twenty four Tirthankaras during three seasons and for providing food for the ascetics and also for repairs of the basadi.
This inscription also records the genealogy of the Hoysala kings up to Vishnuvardhana and enumerates his conquests. Further, it also contains the praise of Gangaraja, the senior dandanayaka of Vishnuvardhana who renovated innumerable basadis and bestowed grants and caused the Gangavadi-96,000 to shine like Kopana, a Jaina centre.
Ref:
Display boards installed at the entrance of the temple.
HOW TO REACH
This group of Jain Basadis are about 17 KM from Belur, 33 KM from Hassan, 143 KM from Mysuru and 210 KM from Bangalore.
Nearest railway station is Hassan.
LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---
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