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COMPRBHENSIVB HISTORY OF JAINISM
letter to the celebrated Hiravijaya, written in 1578 A.D., proves his concern for the religion of the Jinas, 166
Several places of Eastern Rajasthan were intimately connected with Jainism, in the period, under review. The town of Virāțanagara or Bairāț, of the epic fame, came to be associated with Jainism in the early 16th century. An image of Supārsvanātha, now preserved in the well-known Cintamani temple of Bikaner, contains a small inscription 167, which shows that in V.S. 1568, corresponding to 1511 A.D., this icon was set up at “Virāțçanagara.' We have a long inscription 168, on the wall of the local Jina temple, originally dedicated to Vimalapātha, which was erected in Saka 1509, corresponding to 1587 A.D., during the reign of Akbar by Indraraja, a local chief. The opening ceremony was done by Kalyānavijaya, a disciple of the renowned Hiravijaya. The epigraph actually opens with an obeisance to this great Jain muni, who was looked upon as a Superhuman, by the Jains of this place. The epigraph also proves that Hiravijaya was given the jagadguru biruda by Akbar before 1587 A.D. Another temple, dedicated to Pārsva, was in existence at Bairāț, before V.S. 1641, corresponding to 1584 A.D., the date of the composition of the Latisarn. hita168, by Rājamalla, which mentions this temple of that town. Several other places of Rajasthan were intimately connected with Jainism in the period under review. We will have to take note of them, in the chapter on the Jain tirthas.
Juinism in other Areas of Northern India : Gwalior or ancient Gopācala, in Madhya Pradesh, was connected with Jainism, from the 15th century, although quite a few images of that place, give earlier dates. Several published inscriptions prove that these were inscribed on Svetāmbara icons. 170 However in no Svetāmbara inscription before the 15th century, do we get the names Gopādri or Gopācala, the two old names of Gwalior. It appears that all the Śvetāmbara images were fashioned elsewhere and brought to
