View of the modern dharmashala (a charitable public rest house or shelter) rooms added surrounding the verandah (open-air hallway or porch) of the Suswani Mata temple complex. The shikhara (superstructure) of the main temple and the flagstaff of the centrally located old temple are visible from the open ground in front of the main gate.
Seen here is the front side, east-facing, of the shikhara (superstructure) above the main Suswani Mata Temple which is of a Latina Nagara (mon-spired) variety. Square on plan, the shikhara is composed of curvilinear bands. A vertical band of aedicules arranged in a descending manner from top to bottom on the corners. The central band is plain.
View of intricately carved details of a medallion, of the shikhara (superstructure) of the Suswani Mata Temple, which is at the bottom of the shikhara. The design is composed of the gavaksha (dormer window) designs and diamond motifs.
The Shikhara (superstructure) of the Adinatha Temple is built in the Nagara style, albeit an abbreviated one. The mulshringa of the shikhara has a pratyangas or prati shikharas emanating from it. These are complemented by miniature shikharas at the base of the main shikhara. The shikhara is painted in white and the ornamentation details are defined with gold paint. The base of the cardinal faces of the shikhara has deep empty niches, similar to the shikhara of the Bhandasar Temple.
The Adinatha or Rishabnatha Temple in the Bhandasar Temple Complex. It is a subsidiary shrine situated to the south of the complex. It is relatively smaller in size than the Bhandasar Temple. The temple is not austere in treatment. It is a simple structure with planned walls and one entrance facing the east.
This painting in the inner/upper circle in the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) depicts the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Parshvanath, standing on a multi-headed naga (serpant), with the hood crown positioned above the head of the lord. A naga couple in anthropomorphic form stands flanking the Tirthankara and bows down to him. Parshvanath wears a crown and is adorned with jewellery. There are two gandharvas (celestial beings) in the sky above him. The inscription reads, ‘Parasnath Shvami.’
The thirteenth oval painting (in clockwise order) in the lower/outer circle in the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) is the episode from Jinadatta Suri's life that took place in Ajmer. Once, an ominous stroke of lightning in the evening threatened the fellow monks and followers of Dada Jin Dutt Suri while they were performing pratikraman with him. Dada Jin Dutt Suri captured the lightning under his alms bowl and instructed everyone to continue with the pratikraman without fear. Lightning is shown as yellow strokes in the sky that the acharya (those who impart knowledge) collected in the bowl. Jinadatta Suri is shown sitting on a mat. The inscription reads, ‘shri jinadatta suri ji Bijali dabi.’
The ninth oval painting (in clockwise order) in the lower/outer circle in the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) is difficult to decipher. It appears to depict a sleeping couple, with a snake near the leg of the man. Outside the haveli (mansion) which houses this couple, there is an armed figure that looks like a soldier or guard in uniform.
Seen here is the jangha (wall) of the Suswani Mata Temple facing South. On the bhadra (central offset) is an in situ sculpture of Ganesha, framed in deep decorative niches. This image is flanked by two attendants on the intermediary projections and dikapalas (gods of the cardinal directions) on the corner projections of the wall. The devakosthas (niches) on the central and corner projections have small vyala (mythical composite figures) on the brackets.