The 'Nagabandha' and the 'Pancanga Vira' Ceiling
By M. A. Dhaky
Summary
M. A. Dhaky's article, "The 'Nagabandha' and the 'Pancanga Vira' Ceiling," examines two popular illustrative ceiling types found in the halls of fifteenth-century Western Indian Jaina temples, which were previously foregone in a joint study with J. M. Nanavati. The first type depicts Krsna trampling the serpent Kaliya in the River Yamuna, while the second shows a curious human figure with five bodies sharing a single head and a pair of arms, often holding a dagger. The article focuses on identifying the second motif, as its underlying idea had remained unexplained due to a lack of parallels. The author traces a significant reference for the Krsna-Kaliya scene to the Aparajitaprcna by Bhuvanadeva, a Western Indian Vastusastra work from the third quarter of the twelfth century. The main subject is the identification of the Pancanga Vira ceiling, which features a figure with five bodies. The author identifies these ceilings in several fifteenth-century temples: the five Jaina temples at Jesalmere and the Dharana vira at Ranakpur in Rajasthana, the Melak-vasahi at Mt. Girnar in Saurashtra (dated 1455), and the Bhulavani temple, also known as Vimala-vasahi on Mt. Satrujjaya in Saurashtra, dated to around 1320. The identification is made possible by pilgrims' psalms from the fifteenth century, such as the Satrujjaya caityaparijata and the Girnar-caityaparijata, which explicitly mention the nagabandha and pancanga vira ceilings. The article notes that the nagabandha ceiling is derived from the earlier Krsna-damana type, where the human-form representation of the nagas is subdued in favor of prominent coils forming a complex tangle. The symbolism of the Pancanga Vira ceiling, however, remains hard to guess, with the author speculating whether the five bodies represent a hero's prowess equivalent to five men or one of the Fifty-two Vira-spirits of folk tales, a mystery that persists until an explanation is found in ancient literature.
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Conclusion
This article successfully identifies and contextualizes two distinct illustrative ceiling types found in fifteenth-century Western Indian Jain temples: the 'Nagabandha' and the 'Pancanga Vira'. By drawing upon previously untraced pilgrims' psalms, the author confirms the presence of these motifs at key sites like Shatrunjaya and Mount Girnar, providing crucial literary evidence. The study traces the 'Nagabandha' to its earlier Krsna-Kaliya-damana origins, noting a significant stylistic evolution where the serpent coils gain prominence over the human figures. Conversely, while the 'Pancanga Vira'—depicting a five-bodied warrior—is linked to the concept of heroic prowess, its specific symbolism remains elusive without further ancient literary parallels. Ultimately, this research resolves earlier identification challenges, enriches the architectural history of the region, and highlights the enduring mystery of certain folk-inspired artistic traditions within Jain temple art.