Mulnayak:
Idol of Bhagawan Neminath.
Art and architecture:Choumukha
How
to Reach: This place is 35 Kms from Gulbarga on Sedam Road in the village of Malkhed on
the bank of river kangana. Gulbarga is 60 Kms from Humnabad and 584 Kms from Banglore.
Gulbarga is on Chennai-Mumbai Railway route. Yatris are advised to return to Gulbarga from
Malkhed for onward visit to Bijapur, an important Jain center.
Historicity: This small village was the Capital of once
powerful Rastrkut Kings. The temple of Bhagwan Neminath is of 9 CAD. The pillars and walls
of the temple are well decorated with beautiful carvings dating back to 9 to 11 CAD. The
idols of Jain tirthankars, choubisi (24 tirthankars) Nandishwar dwip and idols of yakshi
are very attractive. There is a small temple of panchdhatu having 96 images of Tirthankars
and others. The temple is about 45 Cms high. The images of 13 tirthankars in padamasan
posture are depicted on the sides of the Nanidshwar dwip.
In the same temple, the metal idols of 14 tirthankars (Mulnayak-Munisuvaratswami In
kayotsarg posture and other 13 in padamasan posture) depict 5 tirthankar of
Bharat-kshetra, 5 of Eravat kshetra and 4 of videh kshetra of Jamboo dwip. The images of
yaksh and yakshi are also depicted here. A
75 Cms high 9 CAD idol of Devi Ambika is very artistic and beautiful.
This place is also important since it was the
capital of King Amoghvarsa (814-878) AD of Rastrkut Dynasty. He was a great scholar. He
authored the famous “Parshnouttar Ratnamalika” in Sanskrit on moral conduct. The
great King has given up his kingdom and became Jain ascetic. A number of famous books were
written during his time. The “Uttarpurana’ in the praise of Bhagwan Adinath and
other 23 tirthankars was authored by Achraya Jinsena and his disciple Achraya
Gunbhdraachyrya during the period of Rastrkut kings.