Mediaeval Temples of the Dakhan c9.s6: Chāndor
Mediaeval Temples of the Dakhan c9.s6
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Chāndor
c9.s6.1
At the town of Chāndor, some thirty-eight miles to the north-east of Nāsik, are a Jaina cave and the modern temple of Renukā Devī; and, on the hill fort of Indrāi, not far off, is a range of thirteen small rooms cut in the rock.
c9.s6.2
The temple of Renukā Devī is quite a modern building and would not be noticed here were it not for two curious wooden images found at it. There is one feature, however, connected with the temple, which may be mentioned, and that is the fine broad flight of steps leading up to it. At the foot of this is a collection of miniature flights of steps, of five steps each, carved on small square loose blocks of stone, which have been left here by pilgrims as votive offerings, but with what object it is not clear. (Plates LXIV—LXVI.)
c9.s6.3
The wooden images, bedaubed with red paint and much weatherworn, were found lying in the inner courtyard. They are worshipped by the people under the names of Kharujālī and Mahāmārī. An examination of them shows that they are Roman Catholic images, probably taken from some old ruined church in or about Sālsette. "Mahāmārī" (? Mahā-Marie) is a representation of the Annunciation, in which the Virgin Mary stands upon a crescent moon with a crown upon her head and clothed in flowing garments. Around her, forming an oval frame, is a garland of flowers. The other image is that of St. Anne, with the infant Mary upon her knee. The first was probably a panel in a church door or screen, while the second is a complete statue which may have come from a niche.
c9.s6.4
The Jaina cave, which is excavated in one of the lower cliffs of the Chāndor fort hill, just above the town to the east, is a roughly-cut small room entered by a single doorway and supported, within, by two heavy clumsily-cut square columns. Around the sides of the cave are scores of images, large and small, most of them being those of the tīrthankaras. On the back, or west wall, is the principal image, that of Chandrāprabha, with the crescent moon carved below him. Upon the pilaster, on either side of him, are two little groups of the twenty-four tīrthankaras. Beyond these are the two images so frequently met with in Jaina caves—the man on an elephant on the one side and the woman on a tiger, beneath a tree, on the other. Very fine images of these two are found in the Indrā Sabha cave at Elūra, where they are known as Indra and Indrani. They possibly represent some great local patron of the Jaina religion and his wife. Such portrait statues are common in Gujarāt temples—the statues of Vastupāla and Tejpāla, and their wives, in the famous marble temples of Dilwara at Mt. Abu for instance. At the top of the pilasters, on either side of Chandrāprabha, is a small image of Sarasvatī. Parśvanātha also figures upon the walls. Upon the south wall of the cave are images of Sarasvatī and a four-armed Devī. These are red-leaded and worshipped, the latter as Kālikā Mātā, dirty bits of cloth being wound about her to represent her garments. On the floor, midway between the two pillars, is a tortoise in low relief.
c9.s6.5
Near the top of the ascent to this cave, where the way leads up some rock-cut steps, are some miniature steps cut out in the rock, similar to the little votive steps at Renukā’s temple. In the rock, a little higher up the hillside, is a water cistern.
c9.s6.6
In the top of Indrāi fort, above the upper cliffs, towards the north end and facing east, is a row of thirteen caves varying from twelve to twenty feet square. They are in a continuous row, being separated from one another by thin partition walls. Each has its doorway, two windows, and verandah, and, in front of one, the largest, about the middle of the line, are two pillars supporting the outer eave of the verandah. In the middle of each of three of the partition walls is a doorway connecting the two adjacent caves. There is nothing about these excavations to indicate for what use they were intended; the absence of images would show that they were probably not used for religious purposes. They were possibly intended to afford shelter to a garrison in ancient times.
c9.s6.7
Of the history of Chāndor we know little or nothing beyond the fact, gathered from a copper-plate grant, that the first Yādava king, Driḍhaprahāra had Chandrādityapura (Chāndor) as his capital.