Chavundaraya basadi or Chamundaraya basadi or Boppa-Chaityalya is one of the fifteen basadis (

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

temples) located on the

Chandragiri Hill Chandragiri ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗಿರಿ) is one of the two hills in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka, the other one being Vindhyagiri. It is also near Indragiri. History The recorded history surrounding the hill start ...

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage des ...

in the Indian state of Karnataka.

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...

has listed the Chavundaraya basadi in group of monuments in Shravanabelagola as ''Adarsh Smarak Monument''.

History

Chavundaraya basadi was erected by

Chavundaraya Chavundraya or Chamundaraya (Kannada ''Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya'', 940–989) was an Indian military commander, architect, poet and minister. He served in the court of the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad (in modern Karnataka, In ...

during the reign of

Ganga The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...

King Marasimha II in 982 CE and completed by Chavundaraya's son Jinadeva. The idol of

Neminatha Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) in Jainism. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devo ...

, flanked by Chauri bearers, is believed to installed by Hoysala period attributing to the characteristics matching Hoysala art. The temple is also known as ''Sruta-tirtha'' () because 10th century Jain Acharya

Nemichandra Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarty ( fl. 10th century) was the author of ''Dravyasamgraha'', ''Gommatsāra'' (''Jivakanda'' and ''Karmakanda''), ''Trilokasara'', ''Labdhisara'' and ''Kshapanasara''. He was among the most distinguished of the Jai ...

composed

Gommatsāra ''Gommatsāra'' is one of the most important Jain texts authored by ''Acharya'' Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarti. History ''Gommatsāra'' was written by Nemichandra in 10th century CE in Prakrit. It is based on the major Jain text, Shatkhand ...

here. The temple underwent improvement in the 12th century under the rule of

Chola Empire The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

. The pyramidal

shikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

crowned with domical finial is example of

Chola architecture The period of the imperial Cholas (c. 850 CE - 1250 CE) in South India was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of Chola art and architecture. They utilised the wealth earned through their extensive conquests in building long-last ...

. In , a pillared porch was added to the temple complex.

Architecture

Chavundaraya basadi along with Suparshwanath, Kattale and

Chandragupta basadi Chandragupta basadi ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಬಸದಿ) is one of the smaller basadis (Jain temples) located on the Chandragiri Hill in Sravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Archaeological Survey of India has listed t ...

is considered the most important for the architecture in Jain temple complex of

with Chavundaraya basadi as the finest and largest. This temple is built in

Dravidian architecture Dravidian architecture, or the South Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from South India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century. It is seen in Hindu temples, and the most distinc ...

and famous for its artistry. The temple houses a ''

garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the ''murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the ''M ...

'', ''pradakshinapatha'', open ''sukansi'', ''navaranga'' and '' mukhamandapa''. Above the garbagriha is a ''dvitala

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

''. The garbhagriha houses an idol of

flanked by Chauri bearers and the one first floor of the vimana houses the image of

Parshavanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru ( Kalpavriksha in this "Ka ...

installed by Jinadeva in 985 CE. Chavundaraya basadi is a two-story shrine with a

built-in Dravidian style. This temple is the largest shrine in Shravanabelagola with ornamental niches with figures of

yakshi ''Yakshinis'' or ''yakshis'' (यक्षिणी sa, yakṣiṇī or ''yakṣī''; pi, yakkhiṇī or ''yakkhī'') are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from devas and ...

and

Jain monks Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the ''Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the maj ...

in padmasan posture. The build Western Gangas style. The architecture of this temple was influenced by Chalukyan style in

Aihole Aihole (pronounced "Eye-hoḷé"), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth cen ...

and

Badami Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monumen ...

temple complex. The mulnayak of the temple is a black-coloured idol of Neminatha. The temple also houses an idol of

Ambika Ambika may refer to: Mythology * Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti * Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess * Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...

seated under a mango tree with ''amra-lumbi'' (mango tree branch) in the right hand and citron in left. File:Views at Chandragiri hills, Shravanabelagola (38).jpg,

Shikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

of temple File:Melina basti, on second storey of Chavundaraya basti.jpg, Melina basti, on second storey of Chavundaraya basadi File:Sanctum guarded by a Yaksha and a Yakshi in the Chavundaraya Basadi at Shravanabelagola.jpg, Sarvahana and

Protection

The temple is protected as a monument of national importance by the

References

Citations

Sources