Some Jaina Metal Images From Unpublished Ghogha Hoard

Author(s): Lalit Kumar
Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf and Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf and Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269019/1

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SOME JAINA METAL IMAGES FROM AN UNPUBLISHED GHOGHA HOARD Lalit Kumar The hoard of Jaina metal images from Ghogha, an ancient sea-port town in District Bhavnagar in Gujarat, was a chance discovery during the renovation work at the Navakhanda Parsvanatha temple when a cellar was detected in 1961. It had a secret cupboard built into the wall which yielded 240 Jaina bronze images. Soon after the discovery, the hoard was examined by M.A. Dhaky and H. P. Shastri of the Department of Archaeology, Government of Gujarat. They also published a brief articie by way of a preliminary report'. As reported therein, the treasure contained some 28 small and insignificant images and 66 other images, but each without an inscription. The interesting content of the inscriptions of the remaining images was also published in the report. It provides names of donors, villages and towns, castes of traders, and of gacchas and Suris, all of the "vetambara sect. In 1978, Setha Kala Mitha-ni-Pedhi, Ghogha, donated 129 images from this hoard to L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad; these had been earlier selected and set aside as important by Dhaky and Shastri with the recommendation to the temple trustees to guard them carefully. A majority of these are inscribed and are represented as ek-tirthis or panca-tirthis. The figures in most cases are defaced due to lustral ceremonies conducted continuously for centuries; therefore, the physiognomical details are in most cases not clear. The eyes, the srivatsa mark on the chest, and the cushion or seat of the Jina are inlaid with silver or copper. The images under reference range from early tenth century to early 17th century A. D. But there were images of the later date mentioned in the original report which refers to an image dated A. D. 1720 which fixes the date after which the treasure was concealed in the wall. The Ghogha hoard, as can be anticipated, represents the art of the medieval and late medieval period in western India. From western India, we earlier had two major hoards of Jaina metal images, namely Akota? and Vasantagadh. They cover a period ranging from the sixth century to the 11th century A. D. The art of the subsequent centuries is represented by the Ghogha hoard. The Jaina metal images produced after the tenth century show the development of the many workshops in the region. But, in spite of their perceptible differences with each other, they look alike, for they are based upon certain formulas within the unified western Indian style in general. The style had persisted with tenacity as far as early 16th century, though thereafter it becomes baroque which marks the climax of elaboration in details and geometrical compositions. Formalism in western Indian art is visibly manifest from the beginning of the 11th century. It is apparent in geometrical compositions as well as in figural

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Some Jaina Metal Images.... representations. The figures now do not show the flowing contours in their bodily forms as witnessed in the early period. They betray the gradual increase in the tendencies towards geometrical abstraction. Vol. II-1996 Some relatively early metal images from the Ghogha hoard belonging to the tenth. and 11th centuries, mark the last phase of the Vasantagadh tradition. This is clearly noticeable from their compositions. The flamboyant halo as well as the oval prabha-aureole can also be discerned in these examples. The representations of the male camara-bearers is an important part of the composition in the later medieval period. They are absent in the Akota hoard which very largely has early images. But the introduction of the camara-bearers can be seen in some images in bronze produced after the mid-tenth century at Vasantagadh. This feature to some extent can help fixing the date of certain images. 59 The introduction of the torana element in western Indian Jaina bronze images was a step forward towards an elaborate scheme in their compositions. This is first noticed at Vasantagadh in certain bronze images produced after the mid-tenth century A. D. The torana gave a new outlook to the Jaina metal images. They look more appropriate for the worship in a shrine in the residential quarters. From the beginning of the 12th century, some changes appear in the mode of image worship among the Svetambara Jainas. They had now begun angis (body) decoration) hang to images. Therefore, some of the images are provided with looped hinges on the parikara. In some images of this period, a chatra-purusa behind the parikara of the image is also present. In regard to the technique of manufacturing western Indian metal images in the late medieval period, these were produced in parts such as the mulanayaka (principal image), pitha (pedestal), parikara (surround), torana (undulating arch), and the attendant figures. These parts were then assembled to form the complete image by soldering technique.. Revetting technique was also used in fixing small figures. Some of the representative examples of Ghogha hoard are catalogued below in chronological order: 1. Tritirthi of Parsvanatha Bronze, western Indian, Vasantagadh style, Date c. early 10th century A. D. 16.0 x 9.5 x 6.0 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 19 (Fig. 1) Jina Parsvanatha here is seated on a cushion placed on a pitha decorated with two full bloomed lotuses and a carpet. He is on either side flanked by a Jina standing on a lotus against a flamboyant oval shaped prabha on either side. The nimbated Yaksa Dharanendra and Yaksi Padmavati are seated below to his right and left side. The seven-hooded snake canopy is surmounted by a triple-umbrella which is

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Lalit Kumar Nirgrantha held firmly by supporting arms and flanked by a vidyadhara on either side. Nine planets are represented in a group on the base. The male camaradharas are absent. 2. Caturvimsati-patta of Adinatha Bronze, western Indian, Vasantagadha style Date V.S 1123/ A. D. 1066 60 36.5 x 25.0 x 14.0 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 1 (fig.2) Adinatha is identified by his hair locks flowing on his shoulders. He is also attended by the bull-faced Yaksa Gomukha on his right and Yaksi Cakresvari on his left, both seated on their vahanas, the bull and the Garuda. A pair of deers also appear in front gazing at the cakra in the centre of the pitha. The Jina is seated in dhyana on a cushion inlaid with silver placed on a stepped gaja-simhasana kept on a dvianga pedestal. The face has silver inlaid eyes with no details. On either side of Adinatha stands a Jina in kayotsarga against a flamboyant oval halo. On the backplate of the Jina are two round pillars and a flamboyant aureole which is surmounted by a triple-umbrella topped with a kalasa; it is flanked by a drummer and a vidyadhara-angel on either side. The whole forms a central tritirthi surrounded by a torana-like composition in the same plane unlike the usual architectural conception. A column of five niches containing a seated Jina figure flanks on either side of the central tritirthi. Towards the interior on either side stands a Jina outside the niche on the top; whereas the other side is occupied by a makara-head. The two bludgeon ends alone of the crossbar are visible. These are supported by a gaja. vyala bracket, and below each stands a camara-bearer. The two sides of the triangular parikara above have a row of three seated Jinas in receding planes sitting under a small chatra. A small tritirthi occupies the apex. Here, a Jina is seated in a niche and outside it are standing Parsvanatha and Suparsvanatha on the right and left respectively. On the base are represented donors, a male and a female, in anjali mudra and nine planets arranged in pairs with the exception of one in the centre. Flames emanate from the border of the parikara. The inscription behind the pitha reads: zrIsavAlIyagacche vIrapituzreyonimittaM aMpaTAdinijaputraizcaturviMzatipoyaM kArita iti / saMvat 1923. The sons, Anpata, and others got this caturvimsati-patta made for the religious merits of their father Vira of the Sarvaliya gaccha. Samvat 1123. 3. Tritirthi of Parsvanatha Bronze, western Indian, Vasantgadh style Date V.S. 1135/A. D. 1078 14.5 x 10.0 x 5.5 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 36. (Fig. 3) Under a snake-hood canopy, the Jina is seated on a cushion supported by

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Some Jaina Metal Images.... visvapadma emanating from the dvi-anga pedestal. He is flanked by a standing Jina and a camara-bearer on either side and Yaksa Dharanendra and Yaksi Padmavati on his right and left flank. A semi-circular parikara raised on a crossbar is set in an ogee arch having four tooth-like projections on the exteriors on either side. The snake-hood surmounted by a chatra having a kalasa-finial is flanked by a vidyadhara on either side. Navagrahas are seen in a group on the base. Vol. II-1996 The inscription behind the parikara reads: saM. 1935 zrI bhaTahRda gacche zasutayazodeva zreyorthaM pAhinyA kAritA In Samvat 1135, Pahini got made (this image) for the religious merits of Yasodeva, the son of the head of Sri Bhatahrada gaccha. 4. Seated Parsvanatha Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date V. S. 1154/A. D. 1097 15.0 x 10.0 x 7.0 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 34 (Fig. 4) Parsvanatha is seated on a cushion supported by a visvapadma, under a snakehood canopy. He is flanked by a male camara-bearer standing on a lotus on either side. The Yaksa Dharanendra and Yaksi Padmavati are seated on his right and left. A semi-circular perforated parikara is borne on a cross-bar supported by two plain pillars. The snake-hood is surmounted by a chatra with the usual jar-finial on top and flanked by a drummer and a vidyadhara on either side. The parikara is also endowed with some stylised vegetal pattern. The nine planets are represented in a group on the dvi-anga pedestal. The inscription behind the parikara reads: saM. 1154 vaizAkhe pratiSThitA // Tha. bhUmala Tha. sUha Tha. mupra Tha. vaccharAjena svabhaginyAH svargasthitAyA Tha. kAgazreyorthaM kAritA || thArA [pagacche ] 61 The image was installed in the month of Vaisakha in samvat 1154. Thakkura Bhumala, Thakkura Suha, Thakkura Mupra, and Thakkura Vaccharaja made the image for the religious merits of Thakkura Kaga related to their sister resting in heaven of Tharapadra gaccha. 5. Seated Jina Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date V. S. [11]81/A. D. (11)24 16.0 x 10.0 x 6.5 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 18 (Fig. 5) The Jina is seated on a cushion placed on a visvapadma placed on a dvi-anga pedestal. The figure is defaced but the eyes and Srivatsa mark on his chest are

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Lalit Kumar Nirgrantha seen inlaid with silver. He is flanked on either side by a male camara-bearer standing on a lotus and on the pedestal a Yaksa and a donor-male, a Yaksi and the donor-female on his right and left respectively. Architecturally conceived backplate has upright pillars supporting a crossbar. The padmaprabha is surmounted by a chatra with the jar-finial on top. It is flanked by a drummer and a vidyadhara on either side. Nine planets are represented in a group on the pedestal. The inscription on its back reads : saM. 81 mAghe varddhamAne pitRvya zre yo ]) zrIsadevavairocanena kAritA In Samvat 81 in the waxing half of the month Magha, Sri Sadevavairocana got made this image for the religious merits of his paternal uncle. The first two digits of the year are perhaps missing in the inscription. Stylistically, the image belongs to the 12th century; therefore, the actual year could be Samvat 1181. 6. Tritirthi of Santinatha Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date : V. S. 1234 / A.D. 1177 16.0 X 9.8 x 5.5 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 52 (Fig. 6) The nimbated Jina is seated on a cushion kept on a simhasana placed on a pedestal. The figure is defaced; it shows a srivatsa mark inlaid with silver. A deer, the cognizance of the Jina, is represented on the pedestal between two groups of nine planets, five on the left side and four on the right side. The mulanayaka is flanked by a Jina standing under a triple umbrella with foliage on either side. The Yaksa Garuda and the Yaksi Nirvani are seated near the simhasana on the left and the right side. There is no backplate of the image. A semicircular arch surmounted by a kalasa with stylised flames on the border accommodates a circular halo, a triple umbrella with foliage, and kalasa on the top. This constitutes the parikara which is raised on a crossbar supported by two upright thin posts erected on the pedestal. The inscription on the reverse reads: saM. 1234 mAgha vada.....zrI zAMtibiMbaM kAritaM pratiSThitaM zrIdharmasUriziSyaiH shriiraamcNdaiH| In the dark half of the month Magha in Samvat 1234, the image of Sri santinatha was made (and) installed by Sri Ramacandra, the disciple of Sri Dharmasuri. 7. Seated Parsvanatha Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date : V. S. 1258 / A. D. 1201 17.5 x 11.8 x 7.5 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 12. (Not illustrated) Parsvanatha seated in dhyana on a cushion is placed on a simhasana covered with

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Vol. II-1996 Some Jaina Metal Images.... a carpet kept on a dvi-anga pedestal. The figure shows a squarish broad face and squattish torso, the eyes and srivatsa mark are inlaid with silver. He is flanked by a male camaradhara on either side and nimbated yaksa Dharanendra and yaksi Padmavati along his right and left flank. On either corner of the pedestal are seen four planets in a group on a separate pitha placed obliquely. The perforated parikara surmounted by a pot-finial with foliage is placed on a crossbar supported by two round pillars, one on each side of the Jina. The snake-hood canopy surmounted by a chatra with a kalasa on the top is flanked by a drummer and a vidyadhara. There are four loops for hanging angi (body decoration), two near the kalasa and two at the corners of the cushion. A chatra-purusa appears behind the inscribed parikara which reads : saM. 1258 jyeSThasudi 10 zanau triguNApaMthe thArApadgacche / pohIthasuta Tha. rANakena pratimA kAritA On Saturday, the tenth day of the brighter half of the month Jyestha in Samvat 1258, Thakkura Ranaka, the son of Pohitha in Trigunapantha, of Tharapadra gaccha, got this image made. 8. Seated Jina Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date : V. S. 1290/ A. D. 1233 19.4 x 12.8 x 8.0 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 14 (Fig. 7) The Jina is seated on a cushion placed on a simhasana covered with a carpet. The eyes and srivatsa mark are inlaid with silver. He is flanked by a male flywhiskbearer standing on a lotus on either side. At the base are represented Yaksa and Yaksi, donors, and eight planets in two groups. The circular halo incised with lotus pattern has perforations along the border and above it appears a tasseled tri-linear umbrella with a kalasa on top. It is flanked by a drummer, an elephant, and a vidyadhara on either side. The semicircular parikara with beaded border and the ghata with foliage on top is placed on a crossbar supported by two round pilasters. Two loops for hanging angi (body decoration) appear near the finial at the top. The inscription on the back reads: saM. 1290 varSe dIsAvAla jJAtiya zre. AsapAla suta sahajapAlena mAtA[ma hIrUpAsahitena mAtAmaha mahasArapAla.....kAritaM pratiSThitaM zrI caMdragacchI( yaiH) navAMgavRttikArasaMtatibhiH zrImunicaM dasUribhiH In Samvat 1290, the image was made by Sahajapala, the son of the Sresthi Asapala of Disavala Jnati, along with his grand-mother Rupa, and maternal grand-father Mahasarapala and was installed by Sri Muni Candrasuri, in the line of the Navanga vrttikara (i.e. Abhayadevasuri) of Sri Candra gaccha. 9. Caturvimsati-patta of a Jina Bronze, western Indian, Gujarat Date : V. S. 1412 / A. D. 1355 21.0 x 13.5 x 7.8 cms. Acc. No. Ghogha 2 (Fig. 8)

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64 Lalit Kumar Nirgrantha The Jina with a broad face and a squattish torso is seated on a cushion kept on a simhasana placed on a tri-anga pedestal. He is flanked by a standing and a seated Jina, one above the other forming a central pancatirthi. The Yaksa and Yaksi are seated below. The halo is a perforated lotus surmounted by a circular trilinear chatra flanked by an elephant on either side. The torana surrounds the main deity. On it are represented 19 seated Jinas. The ogee-arch of the torana is surmounted by a cusped arch supported by a small strut on either side. A ghatapallava is seen on the top. At the two extremes stand male camara-bearers on a lotus console. On the base are represented eight planets in pairs and a donor-male and a donor-female at the corners are seen in front. The inscription behind the parikara reads: saM. 1412 varSe pitRpitRvyabhrAtRmAtRsarvapUrvaja ....mahaM dhaNapAla pu. ma. bhImasIha thA. pUjala pu. vikramasIha bhA. bala devi ........zreyortha mahaM lAkhaNasiMhena zrIcaturviMzatipaI kArayitaM pra. zrI haribhadasUribhiH / In Samvat 1412, Maham Lakhanasimha got made Sri caturvimsati-patta for the religious merits of his father, his paternal uncle, his brother, his mother, and all other ancestors....Maham. Dhanapala, (his) son Maham. Bhimasiha, (his) wife Pujal, son of Vikramsiha, (his) wife Bauladevi .......... (it was) installed by Sri Haribhadra Suri. REFERENCES : 1. M. A. Dhaky and H. P. Shastri, "Ghogha-no Jaina Pratima-nidhi" (Gujarati), Pharbus Gujarati Sabha Quarterly, Jan.-March 1965, pp. 19-22. 2. U. P. Shah, Akota Bronzes, Bombay 1959. 3. U. P. Shah, "Bronze Hoard from Vasantagadh", Lalit Kala, No. 1-2, pp. 55-65. 4. Ibid., figs. 18 and 19. 5. Ibid.

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1. Tritirthi of Parsvanatha. Bronze, Western Indian, Vasantgadha style, c. early 10th century A. D. (Acc. No. Gho. 19). 2. Covisi of Adinatha. Bronze, Western Indian, Vasantgadha style, A. D. 1066, (Acc. No. Gho.1). For Private & Personalllse Only www.jainelibrary

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3. Tritirthi of Parsvanatha. Bronze, Western Indian, Vasantgadha style, A. D. 1078. (Acc. No. Gho. 36). 4. Parsvanatha, seated. Bronze, Western Indian, Vasantgadha style, A. D. 1097. (Acc. No. Gho. 34).

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5. Jina, seated. Bronze, Western Indian, Gujarat, A. D. 1124. (Acc. No. Gho. 18). 6. Tritirthi of "antinatha. Bronze, Western Indian, Gujarat, A. D. 1077. (Acc. No. Gho. 52).

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7. Jina, seated. Bronze, Western Indian, Gujarat, A. D. 1233. (Acc. No. Gho. 14). 8. Covisi of a Jina. Bronze, Western Indian, Gujarat, A. D. 1355. (Acc. No. Gho. 2).