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Wall Paintings as Depicted in the Patodi Jaina Temple,
Jaipur Dr. Rita Pratap*
Painting in ancient India was integrated with the social life of man. It was not only a mark of man's personal achievement but it also revealed his cultivated taste. Bharata's Natyaśāstra enjoins the importance of wall paintings in the auditoria :
Samansu jatasobhāsu citrakarma prayojayet // 90 // Varied informations on wall paintings are found in the Purānas. The Chitrasūtra of the Visnudharmottara Purāna offers an encyclopaedic knowledge on painting including the wall painting. The other texts are: The Chitralaksana by Nagnajit, Bhoja's Samarāngana-sūtradhāra, Someśvara's Mānasollāsa, Vatsyāyan's Kāmasūtra and Yasodhara's Jayamangalā, commentary on it also make equally good references.
This tradition of mural painting remained as forceful as in Amber and Jaipur too - the capital city of Kachawāhās. Here the mode of embellishing wall remained in vogue for more than .hree hundred years, i. e., from late 16th century to the present century.
The paper dealt here is on the wall paintings as depicted in the Patodi Jaina Temple, Jaipur. It is apparent from the earliest murals found in Amber and Bairath that wall paintings had begun to received royal patronage from the time of Raja Man Singh ( 1590-1614 A. D. ), when he came in contact with the great Mughal Emperor Akbar - the ambellishing of walls with paintings had become a necessity and also a fashion.
For a number of centuries Amber' and Sängāner? were the Jaina literary centres of the Dhundhar region and Amber remained one of the earliest centres of Bhattārakas too.
After the establishment of the Jaipur city in 1727 A. D., the shifting of Jaina scholars, poets, artists and businessman took place who after migration constructed their own temples, places of importance and established Grantha Bhandāras 5.
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Wall Paintings as Depicted in the Patodi Jaina Temple
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The Digambara Jaina temple ( Patodi ) situated in Maniharo Ka Rasta, Modi Khana, Jaipur, is said to be an example of later Jaina temples in northern India and there is a marked influence of later Mughal structural order and is characterized by artistic degeneration'. The builder of this temple was Jodh Raj Patodi and the idol of God Adinātha installed in it. With the shifting of capital, the Gaddi of Bhattārakas' was also shifted to Jaipur in Sarnvat 1815 and temple of Patodiyan became the centre of their activities.
During the time of Sawai Madho Singh i and Sawai Pratap Singho the Jainas were holding the highest posts of administration in the state, including that of Dewanso
It has always been the fascination of the royality of Jaipur to get their palaces, courtyards, chattries, temples painted. The subject matter in these pertain to the pictorial records of their customs, beliefs, mythology and history. We still find numerous such places as examples". Patodi temple is one of them which has painted dome with the subjects relating to the Jaina themes.
The Painted Themes
As one climbs the stairs to reach the temple complex we come across a open courtyard, towards whose centre the salatial Jaina symbols (Aştamāngalika) are found carved in a brass door. The mid ceiling of the dome has lotus petals, the small petals in between and bigger petals spreading out from it in green and red colour scheme, the extensive floral design in it leaves no place unutilized. Down below in an arch format are 16 panels of the places where Tirthankaras attained liberation'? In between these, there are 16 more marble figures of Gandharva's hanging out and eight Vidyādhars painted in between the above two subjects in a circumference with camvara or morchal in one hand and lotus in the other. Identical dress of Dhoti, Dupattā, Mukuta, Bhuja-Bandh-Mālās and Kanthi are worn. Further below is painted the scenes of 16 dreams of 'Tirtharkara-mātā' and 'Pancakalyānaka'13 that is 'The Garbhāvatarana' (descending of Gods head in the embryo ), Janmābhiseka' ( Birth rights ), 'Diksāgrahanaṁ' (Initiation ) : Kevala jñāna, Enlightenment : Mokşa, 'The Siddhacakra' and 'Neminātha's marriage procession scene', is among the beautiful ones painted with the precision of miniature work. just over the pillars eight long narrow panels and in between another 8 squarish shaped panels where Jaina beliefs and scenes of common people worshipping the Jaina Gods, going to Tirthas and celebrating the sacred occassion are depicted. In few of them the details of the scene depicted has been
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inscribed with red colour on pink coloured wall. The wall facing the idol and behind the door are two identical panels of male figures which seem to be the 'Dvārapālas' holding stiok with both hands, wearing Jāmā, Patakā, Headgear and all ornaments. On top of it are two small panels of Indra's holding stick and plate with a pot. On both sides are two identical bigger panels showing Indra with 4 females dancing on both the hands.
Below it there are 2 subjects relating to Jaina preachings – that is the 'Cosmic tree'. Here symbolically a Banyan tree is shown with a man clinging on its hanging roots. These roots are being constantly cut by white and black coloured rats symbolising the day and night. Over the hanging man there is bee-hives from which honey drops are falling and the man is busy in tasting the nectar of human existence, he is ignoring the inspiration to ride a near by religious vehicle. He is obivious of the fact that once the hanging roots are cut he will fall in the dark regions of hell which are symbolized by serpents below.
On the right side front wall, in an arch is painted the symbolic Jāmuna tree representing 6 different characteristics ( svabhāvas ) of human beings. The black natured man is shown cutting the tree by its root itself. Blue natured man is cutting a whole branch and white natured man is cutting the bigger stems of the tree. These are considered inauspicious svabhāvas. Out of auspicious svabhāva the yellow natured man is busy in plucking the bunch of Jāmuna fruit. Whereas pink omened man is plucking a single fruit and the most well omened man is satisfied in collecting the fallen Jāmuna fruit from the ground. This is a very good depiction of people in the society out of whom some are good omened and some are bad omened. The pillars and ceiling of the temple complex has floral patterns painted in the centre and on four sides with gaudi colours, the pillars have the common lotus design painted. Technique of the Wall Paintings
. The workmanship done in the Patodi temple is on Araish. It is not true fresco but may be called secco that is tempra painting done on a dry fresco ground. (The media in which plaster is prepared with marble powder and lime and allowed to be dried and painted there on ). The pigments in this process do not enter the ground but stay on the dry surface - so quite a number of colour can be applied. We find numerous shades of colours used in painting the temple, the main ones are the natural pigments - Kājala (lamp black) for Black, Nila (indigo) for Blue, Gerū (red stone powderfor red, Kesara ( saffron) for orange, Harbhata (terre
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Wall Paintings as Depicted in the Patodi Jaina Temple
verte) for green, Safeda or cünä (lime) for white, hirmich for brown and Pevri (yellow clay) for yellow. Further more light and dark shades were also used by mixing white and black to the natural pigments.
Though this temple ( Patodi) has Jaina subjects painted but the style adopted in depicting the figures, material culture, architecture and landscape is the same as found adopted in the walls of the other havelis and temples of Jaipur14.
Slad
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The only difference is that here Jeina themes have been depicted so as to reinforce the religious aspect of the influential Jaina community. This temple was built at an early date but the paintings depicted seems to have been painted at a later date. as one of the panels here depict an Englishman seated on a stool with attendants holding fan and artificial flower, the figures are attired in-coat, trousers and hats (Plate 1). This enables us to date the paintings to early 19th century during the advent of British and Jaipur signing a treaty with them in 1818 A. D.
Today the tradition of painting on Araish wall has almost come to an halt, very few artists are continuing this technique, Padmashri Kripal Singh Shekhawat of Jaipur had painted a mural on the Jaipur Railway Station in the typical Jaipuri style-Ala-Gila 15 process. in Banasthali Vidyapeeth too, this tradition is followed and training is imparted to students every year by Shri Devaki Nandana Sharma. Some murals in Jaipuri and Italian process are also found painted in the campus of University Maharani's College, Jaipur.
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A panel showing Englishman with attendants.
One finds that the old temple paintings are being repainted in oil colours under the patronage of rich Jaina community. The painters belongs to Bhojaka16 family who are active through out India. References 1. Jagat Siromani temple of Amber is one of the most ancient Jaina temple,
Sānwalā Ji Kā Temple of Samvat 1120 has Blue stone idol of God Neminātha.
2.
3.
There still exists seven Jaina temples in the vicinity of the Sanganer town - Sri Jaini Bābā kā Temple, Sri Jaina Temple Godikhānā, Sri Jaina Temple Patniyan, Dhai-Pari Temple, Shri Digambara Jaina Temple Sangheeji kā (It was constructed in the 10th century), Shri Digambara Jaina Temple Luhadiyan and Digambara Tholiyan Jaina Temple. Lalita Kirti established the Bhattāraka Gaddi in Amber in samvat 1600 c. f. Kasliwal K. C., Jaina community of Amber, Sāngāner and Jaipur cultural Heritage of Jaipur, 1979, p. 154. Though there are about 180 Jaina temples in Jaipur but the temples famous for there arts and architecture are - Terāpanthi Badā Temple, The Digambara Jaina Temple (Patodi), Tholiyan kā Temple, Sir Moriyan Kā Temple, Darogāji Kā Temple, Sanghije Kā Temple, Jaina Temple Badā Diwānaji, Choote Diwānaji Jaina Temple, Badhi-Chāndji Kā Temple, Bairathiyan Jaina Temple, Maruji Jaina temple, Laskara Jaina Temple etc.
4.
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5.
7.
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It is said that the foundation was laid on the same day when the foundation of Jaipur took place in 1727 A. D. c. 1. Jaina Biltiwala Gyan Chand, Jaina Temple and Kala ke Kendra, Jaipur Darshana, Jaipur Adhai Sati Samaroha Samiti, p. 146.
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Wall Paintings as Depicted in the Patodi Jaina Temple
The Grantha Bhandaras of Jaina temple (Patodi) has 2565 manuscripts in its collection. A complete catalogue has been prepared and published by Digambar Jaina Atiśaya Kṣetra Sri Mahaviraji c. f. Jaina P. C., Jaina Grantha Bhandaras in Jaipur and Nagaur, p. 79.
9.
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The brackets supporting the chajjās are multiple but thin and unimpressive in size. These are devoid of structural grace or architectural grandeur and serve as feeble carriers of the great heritage of the Jaina temple architecture. c. f. A. Ghosh, Jaina Art and Architecture, Vol. II, New Delhi, p. 337.
The installation ceremony of Bhaṭṭārka Kşemendra Kirti (Samvat 1815 - 1822) took place.
Mahārājā Sawai Pratapa Singh honoured the Bhaṭṭārakas by presenting at palanquin and whisk whenever they entered the city.
10. The list of Jaina Dewans from the time of Mirza Raja Jai Singh (V. Sarvat 1668 to V. Sarivat 1724), Sawai Madho Singh (V. Samvat 1918 to V. Sarhvat 1979) can be seen. cf. Bhanawat, Dr. Narendra, Jaina Sanskriti Aur Rajasthan, Jaipur Ke Dewan, Jaina Pt. Bhanwar Lal, p. 338-339.
11. The frescoes are found painted in Pundrek Ji Ki Haveli, Pratap Narayan Purohit Ki Haveli, Jagat Siromani Temple, Samodh Ji Ki Haveli, Dushadh Ji Ki Haveli, Sisodia Rani Palace, Bhojana Shala, Amber, etc.
12. The Jainas regard these places as their Tirthakşetras or tirtha for example Girnar, Pavapurji etc.
13. The left side wall of the Sanghiji Kā Temple similar type of Pañcakalyāṇaka theme is found painted. In Jaina temple Siromoriyan too the same subject is shown carved in relief of marble and there on painted, in Digambara Jaina Chatsu Kā, Haldiyon Kā Rāstā has two of these subjects painted on both sides of the front wall of the temple (Marriage of Neminatha and Janmābhişeka).
14. Sawai Jai Singh (1699-1743 A. D.) established the system of thirty six kharakhanas to organise the management and upkeep of the art treasurers, day to day running of the affairs, maintenance of protocol and other para
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________________ Rita Pratap phernalia, suratkhana was one of these kharkhanas where the artists prepared paintings. The artists were also assigned the work of decorating the wall of palaces temples of royality. By the time of Sawai Pratap Singh (1778-1803 A. D.) Jaipur had developed its distinctive style and had matured in a fullfledged school, for details see Vaish Rita, Jaipur Shaili Ka itihasa, Akrati Raj Lalit Kala Academy, January 1976, Varsh 10, Vol. 3, p. 26. Pratap: Rita, Kachhawaha Raja Ke Sanraksana Me Panapi Citrashaili, Navabharata Times, 26th Aug. 1986, Das A. K. Marg, Vol. XXX, p. 82. 15. In this Ala - Gila process the painting is done on a wet plaster and artist and mason has to co-ordinate their work to complete a picture in a single stretch. 16. The artists of Bhojaka families were trained in Raja Ravi Verma's style in oil painting (1848-1906 A. D.). *C. 24, Hari Marg, Malaviya Nagar, Jaipur - 17.