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JAIN JOURNAL
D. A miniature Jaina shrine with five successive tiers, having benki or neck surmounted by āmalaka šilā in lotus design with twentyeight petals and a kalasa on the top of it. It still lies at the site at Badkola, Bankura date of which has been assigned circa 11th century A. D. The entire piece is in tact.
Four Tirthankaras are carved out within trifoil arches. The space between the top of the arches and benki is covered by acanthus design in low relief. Four arches are separated by triangular common pillasters. The Tirthankaras are in kāyotsarga mudrā. The bottom of this miniature shrine is fashioned in two bands of triratha projections. The recessed space between two projections is covered on all four sides, with respective cognizances of Tirthankaras in relief, but due to much corrosion are not recognisable.
Though the standing figures of the Tirthankaras, at least two are seen in the picture, cannot be specifically identified, they never fail to win our mind over the mundane attachment with the expression of their divine smile, a sign of all renouncing that rules over the earthly pleasures and sorrows, egoism and frailties yet leads to the path of eternal rest or to the way of nirvana.
Illustrations by courtesy of the Directorate of Archaeology, West Bengal. Fig. A drawn by Sri Mintoo Chakravarty ; Figs. B and C by the author.
Fig. D photographed by Sri Ranajit Sen.
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