Jain Wood Carvings

Author(s): V P Dwivedi
Publisher: Z_Kailashchandra_Shastri_Abhinandan_Granth_012048.pdf
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/210865/1

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JAINA WOOD CARVINGS V. P. Dwivedi, National Museum, Delhi Introduction Jaina wood carvings form a unique chapter of Indian art history. Usually we do not speak of Hindu or Buddhist wood carving. Not because these religions did not patronise wood work but because of the fact that Jain wood carvings have survived in greater number. This may be because of their geographical situation in the dry climate of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is not cnly the number which make them important but the richness of these carvings also warrant special attention. Fantastic creatures and fascinating forms abound in these carvings. This phenomenon in itself may sound like a paradox, in view of the austerities of the Jaina monks. But then we should not forget that the patrons of these carvings were rich merchants who vied with each other in embellishing temples dedicated by them to the Jaina faith. How the domestic and religious art of Gujarat, including those belonging to Jaina community, come to use wood to such an extent is a matter of anybody's guess. Unlike many other parts of India, Gujarat lacks quality stone but abounds in forests full of good quality wood. Then the heat resistent quality of wood on the one hand provided incentive to its use and on the other hand helped preserve it for centuries. Perforated jali work in wood provided fresh air. Lightness of wcod's weight made it possible to use it more freely on first and second storeys thereby giving an elegant look to the houses. But the unique peculiarity of the architectural wood work as developed in Gujarat is its application and acceptance by the common man, which has made of wood carving a real folk as well as classical art. The reasons why the study of wood carvings has not received as much attention as it deserves are several. The foremost being the hazard that quite often different parts of the wooden structure, be it temple or home; came to be replaced as they decayed, making it difficult to assign it a firm date. The later artists, in all such cases, tried to match the earlier designs and motifs, thereby increasing the confusion for us to study them. Use of the age old tools and motifs even to this day is another factor. Yet another reason for the neglect of the study of these carvings is the general apathy of Indian scholars to anything originated during 16th to 19th century period, the period to which most of the surviving wooden examples belong. However, recently some publications, specially the census reports of 1961, have paid - 357 -

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attention to this medium of art.2 Here we will try to survey the Jaina wood carvings on the basis of published articles and reports and personal survey of various museum collections in India and abroad. Wood used in the carvings A Gujarati saying says 'Sag sisam to sonu'. It means teak and black wood are like gold because they last long and can be shaped like gold. Ravan is used for the threshold which must be very touch, mahua for beams, sevan for white decorative pieces. Naturally seasoned wood was selected for carvings. Teak wood is found in the Dangs and Gir forests of Gujarat. Parimaya Manjari, Brhat-Samhita, etc. give elaborate description about woods and their uses. Tools and techniques The piece of wood on which carving was to be done was first cut off in the required size from the long and given proper shape. For this purpose straight lines were marked with the help of a string dipped in ramzi, khadi or gera. This gave the carpenter the name of Satradhara or holder of the string, later on corrupted into suthar, which became a caste name.4 Starting with large tools, the carpenter progressively uses finer chisels, smoothering surfaces, carving veins, giving light and shade, curves, relief, chipping off spaces in the recesses or decorating the background and thus proceeded from low to moderate and moderate to high relief. To provide it proper finish, dry coconut husk was rubbed. Kuranj or purple stony substance was also used. Some of the Jaina carvings, specially mandapas, were coloured, traces of colour can still be noticed on them.5 Let us ex mine some important examples. Jaina Architecture Before discussing the Jaina architecture an important point to be borne in mind is that the carpenters who worked for Jains were the same persons who also worked for the contemporary Hindu, Buddhists and Muslim patrons. No wonder many elements in all these contemporary architectures were common. Domestic architecture A Jaina domestic house usually has either a Tirthankara image or maigala cinha (fourteen dreams, etc.) carved on its door-lintal or window frame to give it an auspicious aspect (fig. 1). A wooden facade is a quite common characteristic of a Jaina house. Any person of some means would have some carving at least either on the pillar or on the door or window frames of his house, the extent of the elaboration increasing with the financial status of the builder. Doors, windows, pillars, beams and brackets were the main parts on which the wood carvers lavished their skill. The door is divided either into square or rectangular panels enclosed by thick wooden frame running vertically and cross wise. The windows are either built in or projecting and those on first floor were carved profusely. Windows with jali or -358

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Jo Inova ips pow isl -359 1901101 18910 boby HT Leonss aldria along ni saluquq som d ay most homi ol berendumnie od quidosong si enos ails To 900 abadAugula20 Fig. 1 Door of a wooden house-shrine with mangala cinha, 18th. Cent. A. D. screen were quite popular in and around Patan. Inner courtyards often had pillared verandah around it. Window shutters were highly artistic in Kutch region. Quite often they consisted of a perforated tracery of wood placed overlooking glasses. The carving is bold twisted and profusely flowering. The struts supporting the upper balcony are deeply under cut, the design being richly interwoven with animal subjects and folier elaborations. On the inside the ceilings often display a variety of geometrical designs. driw To vel alt he To Wodon dianave USC It is very difficult to quote dated examples of Jaina residential houses having wood carvings. Census of India' (1961) Part VII-A (2) describing wood carvings. of Gujarat gives a statement at its end which mentions dwelling houses with wood carvings. Temple architecture Once the famous Jain temples on the Holy Mount Satrunjaya were of wood is attested by the story of Uda Mehta. It is said that when he was performing worship he saw a mouse carrying away a burning wick. Realising its danger to the wooden temples, he resolved to rebuild the temples in stone, a wish which was ultimately fulfilled by his son, UM Ten M

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Jaina temples can be divided into two district categories. (i) ghar derasar or home shrines and (ii) Stone and wooden temples. The former is a special feature of the Jaina community and almost every house of any means has a shrine of its own, which are embelished with minute carvings, which varied with the richness of the family, The'general iconography of the mandapa in Jaina temple consists of frieze panels either in narrative or representative. Life scenes of the Tirthankaras are the most popular theme. The story of the renunciation of Lord Neminath, who returned from the wedding pavilion when he saw a large herd of cattle waiting to be slaughtered for feasting the wedding party is the most popular theme. Another scene is preaching by a Jaina acharya surrounded by his devotees. Dikpalas, sursundaris, apsaras, kinnaris, etc. are usually carved on brackets. One of the earliest dated derasar is the Santinatha derasara in Haja Patel's Pol, Kalupur, Ahmedabad (A. D. 1390).10 The entire temple is a wooden structure with a mandapa enclosed by a dome, 3.35 m. square, which has a seventeen concentric layers of carvings, made of two hundred and forty eight pieces. Another derasar, Sri Parsvanatha, in Srisamita Sikharaji's Pol, also in Ahmedabad, is said to belong to 17th century. Ahmedabad, being the hub of the Jaina community, has several noteworthy derasars : Sri Ajitanatha derasar in Vaghan Pol. Zavarivad, Cintamani Fig. 2 Filing of the wooden mandapa, C. 16th-17th cent. A. D. (Courtesy : Nattonal Museum, N. Delhi). - 360 -

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To lost bevivave eow nombroVi oh yande olgab hac moil ane Ylish To lenty 3100 ad saq boy bie (i) ago Jeju look -300 aberc bne meet saint Fig. 3. Wooden window-frame, Early 19th cent. A. D. (Courtesy National Museum, New Delhi) oals auszum 2019 -361 257 2 V182 onions and ca og geding apatinis to ot boows 20idw 02115wo Parivanatha and Sahasra phana Parivanatha derasars in Nisha Pol, Sri Vasupujya Svami and Sri Satalanatha-prabhu devasars in Shekhapada, Zaverivad; Sri Suparsvanatha derasar in Sri Ramji's Pol, and Haja Patel's Pol. doni and Ghar-derasars are known from other parts of Gujarat as well. Pathan, Palitana, Ratanpur, Cambay and other cities, too, have several home shrines of importance. nida ave beel door trung cal (ii) onore ni dw gods Heves bm Many Jaina carvings have found houses in various museums. The National Museum, New Delhi has an exquisite example of late sixteenth or early seventeenth century mandapa of a homeshrine. Sixteen apearas adorn its dome and remind the viewer of the Mt, Abu temples in stone (fig. 2). The museum also has a door-frame (caukhat) of a Jaina house (evident from Jaina Tirthankara image)11 (fig. 3) a small door of a home shrine1 (carved with fourteen dreams) and a window framels identified by Tirthankara figure), etc. The Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay also has a wooden mandapa of a home shrine of c. 1600 A. D,14 46

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The Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, Baroda has several examples of Jains wood carvings.15 One of the most exquisite examples of wooden Jaina temple is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, built in 1594. It was in Patan's Zavevivad locality when Burgess and Cousens carried out their survey in 1890. Some other museums also have stray examples.16 Sculptures The Jainas believe that a sandal wood portrait sculpture of Vardhamana was carved in his life time when he was meditating in his palace about a year prior to his renunciation.17 Inspite of the tradition, no wood carving in the round depicting Tirthankaras have been found so far. At what time the transformation from wood to bronze or stone took place it is difficult to say. But the ritual of daily washing the image with milk and water and the application of sandal paste etc. were perhaps responsible for this. However, subsidiary and allied carvings as part of architecture have a better continuity in wood and quite a few of these can be seen in museum and private collections. All such examples have the following common features: (i) they are smaller in size when compared to their counterparts in stone, (ii) once detached from the structure, most of these look as if carved separately and independently; (iii) they are carved in such a way that one side, which was earlier attached to the architectural piece, is not finished properly; (iv) usually they are coloured and (v) they come from one or the other parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, thus inheriting the characteristic features of the region. Conclusion The foregoing discussion shows the wide range and variety of Jaina wood carvings. They not only help us to reconstruct the social history of the period but also fill up the lacunae of art history. All these carvings though small in size, reflect the taste of their rich Jaina patrons who believed in embellishing every inch of space available on their houseshrines or temples. Though mostly religious these. carvings provide us with interesting social gleanings of the contemporary life. In wood carvings, the Jaina patrons took a lead over their Hindu or Buddhist counterparts. References 1. Trivedi, R. K., Wood Carving of Gujarat, Census of India 1961, Vol, V, Part VII-A (2), Delhi, 1965, pl. XI. 2. Ibid, 3. Ibid, page 9. 4. Ibid, p. 28. 5. Dwivedi, V. P., Wood Carvings, chapter 32 in Ghose, A., (Edited) Jaina art and architecture, Vol. III, New Delhi, 1975, pls. 290-291, - 362

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6. Trivedi, R. K., op. cit. Statement I, pp. 5-101. 7. Tbid, p. 4. 8. National Museum has a mandap (60.148) and a window frame (60.1152) showing Neminath's marriage procession, Sri Haridasa Swali collection of Bombay also has a panel showing the theme. 9. Dwivedi, V. P., op. cit, plate 295 B. 10. Trivedi, R. K., op. cit, p. 45. 11. Museum Acc. No. 60.1153. 12. Museuin Acc. No. 47. 111/. 13. Museum Acc. No. 60.1152. 14. Andhare, S. K. 'Painted Wooden mandap from Gujarat' Bulletin of the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Vol.7, Bombay, 1959-62, pp, 41-45 and plates 29 to 33c. 15. Goetz, H., 'A monument of old Gujarati wood sculpture', Bulletin of the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, VI, Part I-II, Baroda, 1950, p. 2. Burgess, James and Cousens, Henry, The architectural antiquities of Northern Gujarat, Archaeological Survey of India, New Imperial series, IX, London 1903, p.49. 17. Shah, U. P., Studies in Jaina Art, Banares, 1955, pp. 4-5. The Buddhists, - too, have a similar tradition. . . lekhasAra jaina kASTha kalA vI0 pI0 dvivedI, rASTrIya saMgrahAlaya, dillI hindU aura bauddhoM kI tulanA meM jaina vAstukalA bhAratIya itihAsa meM apanA mahatvapUrNa sthAna rakhatI hai| isake namUne Ajataka bhI bar3I saMkhyA meM upalabdha hote hai / saMbhavataH yaha gujarAta aura rAjasthAna ke zuSka jalavAyu ke kAraNa hI surakSita raha sake hoN| saMkhyA ke atirikta inakI utkIrNana kalA kI vividhatA bhI mahatvapUrNa hai| yaha kalA dhArmika aura gharelU donoM kSetroM meM phailI hai| gujarAta meM kASThakalA kA vikAsa saMbhavataH vahA~ acche utkIrNana yogya pattharoM ke abhAva ke kAraNa humA hogA / lakar3I kA halakApana, sachidraNasAmarthya, USmAsahatA Adi guNoM ne kASThakalA ko sAmAnya evaM viziSTa donoM kSetroM meM vikasita hone meM preraNA dii| isa viSaya meM saMbhavataH adhyayana isalie nahIM kiyA gayA kyoMki inameM jvalanazIlatA ke kAraNa sthAyitva kama mAnA gyaa| sAtha hI bhAratIya vidvAn 16-19 vIM sadI ke sambandha meM sadaiva upekSita rahe aura durbhAgya se isI bIca yaha kalA panapI hai| -363

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kASThakalA ke liye sAgauna aura kAlI lakar3I mukhyataH kAma AtI hai| ina lakar3iyoM ko 'sonA' kahA jAtA hai| lakar3iyoM ke viSaya meM parimANamaMjarI tathA bRhatsaMhitA meM acche vivaraNa milate haiN| isa kalA ke vikAsa meM aneka prakAra ke padArtha aura upakaraNa kAma Ate haiN| kASThakalA ke udAharaNa ke rUpa meM mandira sarva prathama Ate haiM / ye do prakAra ke hote haiM-gharelU derasarA aura mandira / gharelU derasaroM kA rUpa ghara meM bane hue eka laghukAya pUjAsthala ke rUpa meM hotA hai / mandiroM meM yaha kalA unake maMDapoM meM utkIrNana ke rUpa meM pAI jAtI hai jahA~ paurANika yA pratIkAtmaka kathAyeM kASTha meM utkINita kI jAtI haiM / nemanAtha kA vairAgya, tIrthaMkaroM kA caritra tathA dikpAla, surasundarI, kinnarI Adi deviyoM kA utkIrNana paryApta mAtrA meM pAyA gayA hai / ahamadAbAda ke haja paTaila pola kA zAntinAtha derasarA (1390 I0) kASThakalA kI dRSTi se eka uttama udAharaNa hai| isI prakAra ke aneka derasare isa nagara meM aura bhI pAye jAte haiN| pATana, pAlItANA, ratanapura Adi meM ghara-derasare pAye jAte haiN| isakA eka namUnA rASTrIya saMgrahAlaya, dillI meM rakhA hai jo 16-17 vIM sadI kA hai| isake maNDapa meM solaha apsarAyeM utkINita hai / priMsa Apha velsa saMgrahAlaya, bambaI tathA bar3audA ke saMgrahAlaya meM bhI aneka kASThakalA ke namane pAye jAte haiN| nyUyArka ke meTropoliTana myUjiyama meM 1594 I0 meM bane eka jaina mandira kA bhavya namUnA pradarzita hai jise bhArata se 1890 I0 meM le jAyA gyaa| kASThakalA kA dUsarA rUpa mUrtiyoM ke nirmANa ke rUpa meM pAyA jAtA hai / yaha kahA jAtA hai ki bhagavAn mahAvIra ke jIvana kAla meM hI unakI candana kI mUrti banAI gaI thii| lekina lakar3I kI mUrtiyoM kA bahuta pracalana nahIM ho sakA, aisA lagatA hai / isake aneka kAraNa saMbhAvita haiN| lekina kASThIya sthApatya ke aneka namUne saMgrahAlayoM meM milate haiM / inakI nimna vizeSatAyeM pAI gaI haiM (i) ina kRtiyoM kA AkAra va vistAra, patthara kI tulanA meM, laghuttara hotA hai / (ii) inakA utkIrNana isa prakAra hotA hai ki kRti kA dUsarA (pRSTha) pAvaM agrapArzva ke samAna nahIM ho paataa| (iii) ye kRtiyA~ prAyaH samIpa hotI haiM / (iv) ye prAyaH gujarAta aura rAjasthAna meM hI pAI jAtI haiM / -- 364