Jaina Temples of Western India

SR No.: 006730
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Harihar Singh
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi
Publication Year: 1982
Total Pages: 362
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 27 MB

Page 230

Sculpture and Iconography
213 Nirvana kalyanaka+ is denoted by an image of like the war between Bharata and Bahubali, the Jina seated in dhyānamudra in the centre of the story of Ardrakumāra, Krşņa subduing the snake Samavasarana.
Kaliya, the Samavasaraņa of Adinatha, Samudra
manthana, etc. An important feature of the narIn the Mahavira temple the kalyäņakas as well ratives is that, excepting one narrative, namely the as the life scenes of the Jinas are very clearly shown war between Bharata and Bahubali, carved in the with appropriate details (Fig. 34). The accessory front portico ceiling of the rangamandapa, the legfigures being less in number, each scene is easily ends below scenes are conspicuous by their absence. recognizable. An important feature of the Janma- This clearly indicates that by this time the scenes kalyanaka is that Naigameşin, the gaṇa of Indra, is have got much popularity, and hence the artists only occasionally seen carrying the child Tirtha- need not label them. nkara for performing the birth-rite. To facilitate the visitors the artists have also given appropriate The Lüņavasahi at Abu is the last Jaina temple legends below each scene.
pertaining to narratives. Like those seen in the
Vimalavasahi, the narratives here also are engraved In the Sāntinātha temple at Kumbharia, which in the ceilings of the corridor and rangamandapa. is the next temple to show the narratives, the pra- The narratives in the present temple show a marked ctice of the Mahävira temple is closely followed in change and development. The pascakalyanaka scenes depicting the pañcakalyāņakas and the life scenes of wholly go out of vogue; in their place we find the the aforesaid five Jinas in the side aisles of the representation of the auspicious events such as tangamandapa. But here the accessory figures in- the renunciation of Neminātha (Fig. 102), the crease in number, so that the scenes become some origin of Hasti-Kalikund-tirtha connected with what complicated (Fig. 45), and Naigameşin ap- the life of Pärávanätha, birth-rites of Krşņa pears in the Janma-kalyāṇka of almost each (Fig. 101), Krşņa in Gokula, Samavasarana Tirthankara.
scene, etc. In no case the legends below scenes
are engraved. The accessory figures increase in The Vimalavasahi at Abu is the next Jaina
number and are very tiny, so that the whole temple which bears the narratives. Here the narratives occur on the ceilings of the corridor and
scene becomes very complicated. We also find dirangamandapa. There are only three ceilings depi
fferences in the arrangement of the scenes. Pre
viously they are displayed in concentric circles or cting the pañcakalyānaka scenes. One of these de
in rectangles within ractangles, but here they are picts the pañcakalyanaka of Sāntinātha (Fig. 17),
arrayed in squares within squares or in parallel while the other two are unidentified. All these are
rectangular panels. In the latter case the contilocated in the corridor; and the scenes are arranged in concentric circles. Another ceiling of the
nuity of the scenes breaks off, and hence the
arrangement looks odd. corridor depicts in three concentric circles the life scenes of Neminätha and his two kalyāṇakas, viz. Diksā and Kevalajñana. In all these panels the References kalyanakas are only briefly shown, and the bhavan- 1. Shah, U. P.. "Iconography of the Sixteen taras rarely make their appearence. This is pro
Jaina Mahāvidyās," Journal of the Indian bably because the aim of the artist now was to depict
Society of Oriental Art, vol. XV, p. 119. the individual events of the Jaina mythology rather than the kalyānakas and the bhavāntaras. This
See also Bhattacharya, B. C., The Jaina is apparently indicated from the life scene of
Iconography, second edn., Delhi, 1974, pp.
124-32. Neminatha, wherein the central panel is wholly alloted to his water-sport scene, while the two sur- 2. For details see my article entitled "Sixteen rounding panels depict various scenes which ulti- Vidyadevis as depicted in the Jaina Temples mately led him to get initiated in to monkhood, at Kumbharia," published in Sramana, Besides, there are ceilings which depict the scenes Varanasi, 1977, year 28, No. 5, pp. 25-32.