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JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA
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is now known as Cintām ani temple and has a collection of 1050 metal icons in its underground chamber. According to the local tradition 107, all these icons were taken from Sirohi to Fatepur Sikri by a Muslim general of Akbar in V.S. 1633, and were kept in royal treasury there, till V.S. 1639. Afterwards, on being requested by Rāyasimha, the mahārajā of Bikaner, they were handed over to him by that emperor, who as we have already seen, was favourably inclined towards the Jains. It, therefore, follows that these icons were fashioned before that date and the evidence of inscriptions, on these icons, also support this. A very good number of inscriptions108, are dated before 1300 A.D. And an even larger number of images are dated between 1300 and 1550 AD. Well-known monks like Merutunga, Jayakįrti and Jayakeśara of Añcasa gaccha, Kakkasūri I, II and III of Upakesa gaccha, Napnasūri of Koramtaka gaccha, Jinapati, Jineśvara, Jinaprabodha, Jinacandra I, II, III, IV and V, Jinakusala, Jinabhadra, Jinasamudra, Jinahansa, Jinamāņikya and others of the great Kharatara gaccha, several Dhaneśvaras of Nāņaka gaccha and also several Śāntisūris and Siddhasenasūris of the same gaccha are mentioned in these inscriptions. Prominent monks of the well-known Tapā gaccha like Munisundara, Ratnasekhara and Lakshmisagara are also mentioned in these inscriptions. 109
Inscriptions from other temples of Bikaner, mention royal personalities like Emperor Akbar110 and rājādhirāja Lūņakarapa.111 Evidences, at our disposal, prove that before 1600 A.D., there were five Jina temples at Bikaner town viz. those of Adinātha, Sumati, Väsupujya, Mahāvira and Naminātha. 119 Jain inscriptions have also been found from other places of Bikaner district like Napasar, Rajaldesar, Ratangarh, Sardarsahar, Rini etc. Quite a good number of inscriptions of these places were inscribed in our period (1300-1600 A.D.).
Western Rajasthan is extremely rich in Jain antiquities.
