Jain Journal 2014 07

SR No.: 520295
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2014
Total Pages: 90
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 7 MB

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JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XLIX, NO. 1-IV JULY 2014-JUNE 2015
Jaina Paintings :
Jaina paintings wall paintings, miniature paintings, mural paintings, etc. are available on the doors, walls and ceiling of the caves and shrines, while miniature painting is preserved in Bhandāras in the form of Manuscripts (MSS.) The traces of Jaina paintings are obtainable in the caves at Khandagiri 1st century B.C. They slowly developed in deatures at Sitanavatsal and Ellora. The shrin in the city at Sravanbelgola has mural paintings.
The rulers of Rashtrakuta embellished the Indrasabha cave no. 32 at Ellora with mural paintings. Here Bahubali is shown in deep meditation, with a couple of Vidyadhara flanking him. The cave at Sitanavatsal has a beautiful painting of a dancing lady created in 7th century A.D. She is shown performing attractive postures with her eyes and Hasta-mudrā like Bharat Natyam. Here a portait of a king and a queen conversing with a Jaina monk is noteworthy because of its perfection in art. The wall paintings further developed into mainiature paintings.
Miniature Paintings:
Before the advent of paper in India, Palm-leaf and Bhurja-patra were extensively used as a writing material. The richness in Calligraphy was created by artists using gold and ultramarine ink, it was prepared using traditional norms with natural colour. The palm-leaf was in use up to 1450 A.D. then it was replaced by the paper. During Mogul period this art received great encouragement.
In medieval period Jaina sresthis copied their valuable literature and encouraged artists and calligraphers to produce beautiful artistic handmade pages known as Hastaprata or Manuscript, decorated with wooden covers. The subjects of Manuscripts are Rāgamālā paintings (paintings of music i.e. Raga- Ragini), drama, dance, stories of heroes like Kālakacharya, king Yassodhara's early lives and also of Jinas, etc. Both traditions - Svetambara and Digambara have large collection of MSS. The colorful copies of them are available in most of the Indian languages. These are the treasures of Jainism safely preserved in Bhandāras, monasteries, museums in India and abroad.