View of the west-facing main entrance and side entrance to the Bhandasar Temple. The entrances have semi-circular coloured glass windows, one of the essential influences of the British era period on the paintings in the temples. The eighteen and sixteen side bands of the ceiling were painted based on various themes.
Details of the southern aisles in the Bhandasar Temple, which separates the exterior walls of the mandapa (pillared hall) and the central dome of the temple. The windows/doorway puncture the exterior wall equidistantly. Wooden planks used as doorways are beautified with frames of paintings. The paintings are from various themes like the depiction of twenty Tirthankaras, the work of Jain monks, important places of pilgrimage, and teachings of the Jain traditions, among several others.
Seen here are five paintings in the oval cartouches, in the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) of the Bhandasar Temple. The oval shapes of the paintings are designed like mirror frames. This style is influenced by European paintings, especially the Company style paintings produced during the 18th – 19th centuries CE. The lower row depicts stories of Jinadatta Suri’s miracles when he made a dead cow, which was in front of the Jain temple, alive and put it in front of a Hindu temple. The left oval has a painting of Jinadatta Suri miraculously saving the Mughal prince. In the upper row are paintings of (left to right of the viewer) the sacred Meru mountain, Bahubali and Rishabnatha.
Seen here is the story of Vijay Seth and Vijay Sethani, a couple who maintained the vow of celibacy throughout their life. The painting, on the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) of the Bhandasar Temple, depicts a grandiose haveli with an enclosure where the couple resides. The painting has an inscription that reads, ‘Sethajidas Vijayseth Sethani ko Parna karata hai’.
Paintings above the doorway in the exterior walls of the Bhandasar Temple. The horizontal block at the centre of the upper set also has a painting of Krishna in seating posture, flanked by gopis (female cowherd). Krishna is shown blue-skinned and holds two lotuses in the upper two hands.
Sculpture of Parshvanath Tirthankara in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Adinatha Temple. Carved in marble, the Tirthankara is shown seated in padmasana (lotus pose) and dhyan mudra (meditation posture). The pedestal has a carving of a snake.
Painted floral medallion on the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) of the Adinatha Temple. Compared to other paintings on the ceiling, this is a different pattern of a large medallion. Small floral ornamentation patterns are plenty but large medallions are uncommon.
The main central shrine of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) has a high pedestal having a cupola (a rounded dome with a ceiling) like design. This pedestal has three sculptures, of which the central one is shown sitting on a lotus pedestal. Unlike the side shrine, the roof here is highly ornamented with meenakari (enamel) art that includes plenty of golden embossing.
The horizontal lowest band, of the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) of Bhandasar Temple, is a painting of the famous Chintamani Temple of Bikaner. Drawn as a two-dimensional object, the painting portrays the temple structure as two 2D. The face of the pillar capital in the image has a Shrivatsa symbol, one of the eight auspicious Jain symbols.
A painitng of Samavasarana on the ceiling of the mandapa (pillared hall) of the Bhandasar Temple. Samavasarana is a divine preaching hall of the Jains which is designed in the form of four circular passages, each having four entrances. At the centre of the innermost circle sits the Tirthankara followed by other monks of the tradition, laypersons and ascetics. The circle next to this is populated with animals. The outermost circle depicts a procession of elephants. The size of the preaching hall depends upon the enthroned Tirthankara.