Aihole has several Jain temples like the rock-cut shrine on the southwestern tip of Aihole hill, the twin temple inside Charantimath complex and a group of four temples opposite Gauri Gudi. There could be other Jain temples at Aihole but these are the ones I'm aware of. This blog post is dedicated to the last item i.e. the group opposite Gauri Gudi. I'd seen this group first time in Dec 2011, and again in Oct 2023, after almost 12 years. From the few pictures I'd taken during my first visit, I could see that the place hadn't changed much, which is good.
The four temples are placed around a small open space in U-shape. All these are sandstone structures, probably built during Badami Chalukyan times. The entrance to the group is on the northern side. As I sept into the open space, there are two temples facing each other. The picture below is the east-facing temple (#1) which seems like an incomplete structure. This Mantapa is the Natya Mantapa within the Sabha Mantapa. The seating platform seen here is present on the opposite side as well. There's no deity inside the sanctum. The sculpted icon of Mahaveera on the sanctum door frame is what indicates that this is a Jaina shrine.
What I wanted to highlight here is the Sukhanasi profile and the circular hole with a diaphragm. This reminds me of a cavity turn knob in modern machinery. The purpose of this cavity is something I need to figure out. One thing I can think of is to insert a lever and shift the seat i.e. to align it to the base.
This is the side view of the temple. It's a small structure but it was meant to be a grand one.
This is the rear view, the inner space of this part is the sanctum. As to the Shikhara, I'm not sure what the builders had planned. Maybe a stepped Shikhara.
Moving on, the next two temples (#2 and #3) stand next to each other, both north-facing. The format is more or less same... Garbhagudi, Antharala, and Sabhmantapa. This one has a narrow shoulder running around the temple so that one could go around it. However, the path is blocked on the right hand side. From the looks of it, this temple has been damaged, most likely by humans., several parts of the structure have gone missing.
Another view of temple #2. The Shikhara is a stepped pyramid. It's Kalasa is missing.
Moving on to temple #3. Again, several parts of the structure are missing. I feel this temple too has suffered damages, then the rubble has been cleared or used somewhere else. It's quite possible that temple parts have been carted away and used in foundations of houses here i.e. well before these monuments came under government protection.
The inner space of temple #3. That's Sridhar standing between the inner pillars of the Natya manatapa. Slabs from the roofs are also missing here.
This is temple #4, the largest of the four temples, probably this is the chief temple of this group. This east-facing temple is a Trikutachala meaning a temple with three sanctums. The sanctums are east, north and south facing. Of the four temples here, this temple is the most well preserved one. By it's looks, construction was completed and it has suffered some minor damages.
This is the only picture of the interior I shot. The columns are bigger compared to the other temples of this group. They are somewhat like the columns at Kunti Gudi complex. The interior was quite dim, it's only because of the glare barging in through the only door, the interior was visible. When I stepped into this space, I saw three or four men lying down, call it their late morning siesta. This person sat up and welcomed me. We exchanged a few words and I left them to their siesta.
Close to the entrance of this group was this stone seat. I feel this is a piece from the Sukhanasi of temple #1. Thankfully the separated piece is still here. Sridhar poses on the seat under the blinding glare of Suryadeva. Vibhuti on Sridhar's forehead is from Gauri Gudi, he had spent several minutes there before turning up here.
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