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This
Jain temple has a frieze which depicts the 16 dreams of Mahavira's
mother, and a jain deity on a winged Garuda. (Built in late 10th
century). To the south east of the Khajuraho village is located the
fragmentary shell of a Jain temple known as the Ghantai and a little
farther away is a group of Jain temples enclosed with in a modern
compound-wall.
The group comprises the Parsvanath, Adinatha and
Santinatha temples, besides numerous modern shrines. Some of the latter
stand on the ruins of older ones, while most of them are lately built of
old material and display old images. The Ghantai temple is locally so
called on account of the chain-and-bell (ghanta) motifs, prominently
carved on its tall conspicuous pillars, which are among the finest ones
of medieval India, remarkable for their stately form, bold ornamentation
and classical dignity.
Facing east, the extant shell shows that the temple was effectively of the
same design as the Parsvanath temple, but grander in conception and
almost twice as large in dimensions. |