Adinatha Temple, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Adinatha Temple, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Adinatha Temple is a Jain temple dedicated to the Jain tirthankara Adinatha located at Khajuraho town in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, India. This temple is one of a cluster of three Jain temples considered part of the eastern group at Khajuraho. This temple is situated to the north of Parsvanatha temple. This temple is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other temples in Khajuraho Group of Monuments.

History

The temple is dated to the late 11^th century CE and probably constructed slightly later than the Vamana temple. The Adinatha Idol in the sanctum has a three-line inscription dated to 1158 CE. It gives the name of the donor as Kumarnandi and the sculptor as Ramaveva. It mention that Kumarnandi was the disciple of Bhanukirti, who was disciple of Rajanandi, who was disciple of Ramachandra of Mula Sangha. The inscription includes 3 shardulavikridita verses in literary Sanskrit. The temple has been classified as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Temple

The Temple is smaller than the Parsvanatha temple and is situated to the north of it. The design of the Adinatha temple is similar to the Vamana temple. It is a nirandhara temple of which only the sanctum and antrala have survived. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum, Antrala and Ardha Mandapam. The Ardha Mandapam is a much later addition. The Adinatha is shown sitting in padmasana pose on a cushioned seat with lotuses and diamond motifs.

One sculpture found at the temple shows a sitting Adinatha with an ushnisha on his head. It features a Dharmachakra with a small bull figure. The right side of the seat has the figure of a pot-bellied Yaksha with a cup and a moneybag in his hands. The left side has the figure of the yakshini Chakresvari sitting on a Garuda. She has four arms; each of the two upper arms hold a chakra. There is another sculpture with similar iconography features a Yaksha, a yakshini, and a bull with a Dharmachakra.

The exterior walls of the temple have three bands of sculptures featuring surasundaris (graceful women), flying vidyadhara couples, vyalas (mythical lion-like being), and a dancer with musicians. Despite the shrine's Jain affiliation, the external walls also feature carvings of the Hindu deities. The niches houses sculptures of the Jain Yakshinis Ambika, Chakresvari and Padmavati.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 1.5 Kms from Khajuraho Bus Stand, 6 Kms from Khajuraho Airport, 7 Kms from Rajnagar, 10 Kms from Khajuraho Railway Station, 13 Kms from Bamitha, 41 Kms from Chhatarpur, 47 Kms from Panna and 379 Kms from Bhopal. Khajuraho is situated on Bamitha to Rajnagar route. Khajuraho railway station connects the town by a daily train to Delhi via Mahoba, Jhansi and Gwalior. It provides a daily train connecting to Agra, Jaipur, Bhopal and Udaipur. A local daily train also connects to Kanpur, whilst Varanasi is connected three times a week. Khajuraho Airport has flights to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.

Location