Art of Enlightenment

Author(s): Kalpana Desai
Publisher: Kalpana Desai

Page 6

Twenty four Tirthankara Pata
The painting illustrates all the twenty-four Tirthankaras in two concentric circles around the central figure of Rishabhadeva, the founder of Jainism. All of them are seated on thrones in meditative postures and look alike. All of them are attributed a symbol and a colour which enable the devotees to identify them. Below to the left is the image of Gautama Ganadhara the principal disciple of Lord Mahavira. To the right is a small shrine of the footprints of the guru. Jainism has paid great importance to the tradition and lineage of gurus who have passed on the message of the Jinas to people. Tirthankaras are worshipped individually or in groups of three, five, seven and twenty-four. Though all of them are worshipped equally, some of the more popular Tirthankaras are Rishabhadeva, Shantinatha, Neminatha, Parshvanatha and Mahavira.
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