Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
Digambar Jain Temple Ladnun
When our stay in Ladnun neared the end, we remembered a location worthwile a second glimpse, the ancient Jain temple below the Old Ladnun Jain temple. To get to this location, one important condition has to be fulfilled at the time of our visit, the person with the key has to be present in the Old Jain Temple above the ancient one. We luckily descended to these vaults, unknown to scholars and researchers hitherto. As far as we got to know from the experts we had consulted, this temple is not mentioned in any relevant book on history of Jaina art.
Digambar Jain Bara Mandir Ladnun
None of us was prepared for the beautiful ancient objects d'art coming to our eyes. A typical Rajasthani courtyard was flanked by temple columns. They were found when the old temple below was about to be enlarged some years ago, as we were told.
A closer look to the adornments of the columns undoubtedly shows that they belong to an ancient Jain temple, dating about one thousand years ago..
All basements of the columns were ornamented with many such depictions.
This passage is on the back side of the columns; the gates remained closed. Perhaps they hide another part of the ancient temple.
This ancient statue of Lord Parshvanath in meditation posture is niched in a marble panel.
This beautiful gate was originally perhaps the entrance to a sanctuary, and no part of the statue of probably Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara, as the symbol of the basement of the statue's seat looked like a conch.
Probably this is the statue of Shreyansanatha, the 11th Tirthankara. On the basement of his seat, a rhinoceros like animal is seen. We were told that it was found under the earth by some farmer who noticed some force under his plough. After he had started to dig, some part of the statue's arm was seen. Fortunately, the farmer asked for someone more experienced to be sent for the complete digging work. The farmer surely was anticipating that something very ancient and precious could be found. After all, the statue was brought to the ancient Jain temple of Ladnun, because people felt this the place it most belonged.
This column is supposed by some people to have served as baseplate of another Jain temple near Ladnun. The feet are symbol of a holy person, perhaps even a Tirthankara, who had reached Samadhi at the place. Unusually the feet are seen at a column, but this might not have been the original situation. No more precise facts were available, perhaps scholars in Indian art history, specialised on Jaina art, feel inspired to provide them...
This precise view to the plafond of the ancient temple is one of the fragments giving an inspiration how the whole ceiling was like once. The visitor to the 'Old Jain Temple' in Ladnun should not miss the opportunity to have a closer look at the treasures in the basement, it is worthwile!