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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
BIHAR
Jaina temples from about the 7th century A.D. to the 130 Bihar, which consisted of three old Janapadas of century A.D. have come down to us, probably they were Vrji, Anga and Magadha, was perhaps the most fertile destroyed during the course of Muslim inroads. land for Jainism since it had the grace of being the RAJGIR birth-place of three Tirthankaras, viz. Väsupujya Rajgir, ancient Rājagsha, lies to the south-east of (Campāpuri), Munisuvrata (Rājagļha) and Mahāvīra the capital town of Patna in Bihar. It is a holy Jaina (Kundagrāma), and the nirvāna-place of 22 Tīrthankaras, place since Munisuvrata, the 20th Tīrthankara, was born the exception being that of Adinatha (Astāpada) and here and Mahāvīra, the 24th Tīrthankara, spent many Neminātha (Girnar). Mahāvīra spent most of his time rainy seasons at Rajgir. It is also the name of a hill in Bihar and preached Jaina tenets to the people there. which consists of seven ranges of Vaibhāra, Vipula, During the age of the Nandas and Mauryas (4h-3rd Ratna, Chathā, Saila, Udaya and Sonā, each being century B.C.) Bihar became an important centre of adorned with a modern Jaina shrine. On the Vaibhāra Jainism as one of the Nanda kings took away a Jina we also encounter with an ancient Jaina temple which image from Kalinga, Candragupta Maurya turned a has been fully exposed and repaired. Jaina during the last days of his reign and migrated Jaina Temple - This old Jaina temple at Vaibhāra to South India alongwith Jainācārya Bhadrabāhu when consists of an east-facing central cylindrical chamber a dreadful famine occurred in Magadha, Asoka had and a surrounding court with a row of cells all around. liberal outlook towards Nirgranthas, and Samprati, the The central chamber and the cells have wall-niches to grandson of Asoka, was a devout Jaina. This is also contain images. Most of these images have gone now, supported by two Jaina caves excavated during this and of those that exist only the following are worth period at Rajgir and by two Jina images recovered from mentioning. Lohanipur, Dist. Patna. Colour to this is also lent by The niche in the central chamber contains a figure the fact that the First Jaina Council to compile Jaina of Jina seated in dhyanamudra. To the left of this image canons was convened at Pāțaliputra (Patna) after the is a figure of Rşabhanātha, also seated in dhyanamudra. end of the famine.
The image bears an inscription which belongs to the The history of Jainism in Bihar after the fall of the 8th century A.D. and records the pious gift of Mauryas to the rise of the Imperial Guptas is shrouded Vasantanandin. There is also a mutilated figure of in darkness. But soon afterwards we come across a Rşabhanātha with an inscription recording the pious gift hoard of 18 Jaina bronze images recovered from Chausa, of Thiroka. The cells round the central chamber contain Bhojpur district, and a Jaina temple at Rajgir. All these some loose images of Pārsvanātha, Mahāvīra and range in date from the 3rd century A.D. to the close of Sambhavanātha. Adjoining the east wall of the central the 6th century A.D. and bespeak of the prevalence of chamber, on a lower level, is a room containing images Jainism in Bihar. Hiuen Tsang also noted the presence of Neminātha and Mahāvīra, the latter also having an of Nirgranthas at Rajgir in the 7th century A.D. Jainism inscription of about the 5th century A.D. seems to be in a flourishing condition in Bihar down to The old Jaina temple at Vaibhāra hill is datable the close of the 13th century A.D. This is evident from to the 54-6h century A.D. This is corroborated not only a hoard of 29 Jaina bronzes (124h-13th century A.D.) by the inscriptions on the images but also by the recovered in A.D. 1974 from Aluara, Dhanbad district, statement of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (7th and many Jaina images now preserved in different century A.D.) that in his time naked ascetics museums and private collections. But it is a pity that no (Nirgranthas) frequented the place in great numbers.
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