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Proselytism of Jaina Shrines in post-medieval
Karnataka
Hampa Nagarajaiah
In the fitness of facts it would be appropriate to start this paper with four statements :
"As elsewhere, South India also witnessed an active build up of Jaina institutions in the early medieval period. The Jainas were widespread and almost every village had a considerable Jaina population as is attested by the ruins and other extant remains” (Ghosh, A. (ed.): An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology : 1989 : 301]
"Inspite of the profusion of Jaina monuments, there is definite evidence to show that certain Jaina establishments suffered at the hands of the saivaites and Vaisnavites. The Sonabhandar caves at Rājgir were requisitioned by the votaries of Visnu in the eighth century and the Jaina monastery at Paharpur was converted into a Buddhist Vihāra by Dharmapāla" (ibid, p. 163)
“The Lingāyats were particularly hostile towards the Jains, and wherever they could, they appropriated their temples as well as those of the orthodox Hindus." (Henry Cousens : The Chālukyan Architecture : 1926 : 13]
"It is interesting to note how Jaina images are being honoured unwittingly by the followers of the other creeds to this day. In the village Kalkuni, a few miles from Sirsi, I found a fragment of the Jaina image of a Tirthankara with the triple umbrella being adored as Guru Mūrti by an orthodox family of Brāhmanas." (Desai, P. B.: JSI : 1957 : 133 f.n. no. 1]
Some of the Jaina sanctuaries and cloisters are requisitioned by the followers of other religion. Similarly many of the Jinaśāsana deities are erroneously recognised as non-jaina gods and goddesses. As long as the ancient architectural remains are preserved and worshipped by whatever name and form, it does not matter !
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