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Encyclopaedia of Jaina Studies
Deogadh, Khajuraho, Pakbira (Purulia, Bangla Desh, 11th century A.D.) and Ahar (Tikamgarh, M.P. 11th century A.D., Dhubela Museum, Acc. No. 32, Pl. 216). The example from Pakbira depicts Rṣabhanatha, Śantinatha, Kunthunatha and Mahāvīra standing in kayotsarga with respective cognizances. Subsequent and more developed example of Caturmukha Jinalaya from Guna (Indore, M.P., 11th century A.D.) has highly ornate doorways on four sides (Pl. 218). It enshrines four seated figures of the selfsame Jina (unidentified) with usual prätiharyas and Yakṣa-Yakşi figures. A number of small figures of Jinas, Acaryas and Parents of Jinas are also carved. Ashutosh Museum, Kolkata, also has a stone Caturmukha shrine procured from Dewalia (Burdwan, W.B.) which contains the standing figures of four different Jinas (Rṣabhanatha, Candraprabha, Parsvanatha and Mahavira) with their cognizances on four sides. The huge Caturmukha Jina temples were also built at Delvada (Khartara-vasahi) and Ranakpur (Caturamukha Jinalaya of Adinatha) in Rajasthan during 14th-15th century A.D.
JINA CATURVIMŠATIKA OR CATURVIMŠATI JINA-PATTA
Jina Caturvimsatikā or Jina Cauvīsī represents an image with 24 Jinas carved together. Of the 24 Jinas, the principal Jina is the Mulanayaka who may be Rṣabhanatha, Pärsvanatha, Neminatha, Mahavira or any other Jina, carved at the centre either in dhyana or kayotsarga-posture, while the figures of all other 23 Jinas are depicted in the parikara in diminutive forms. The rendering of such Jina Cauvīsī images is found from about 8th-9th century A.D. almost at all the important Jaina sites of north and south India, the most important of such sites being Deogadh, Khajuraho, Delvada and
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Kumbharia. One example showing Ṛṣabhanatha as Mulanayaka is found from Rayadurg (Anantapur, A.P.)
The second type is found as Jina-paṭṭas whereon all the 24 Jinas in identical dimension are carved and hence such slabs are known as Caturviṁśati-Jina-patta. Such pattas, not so common, were carved from about c. 10th century A.D. Two of such pattas are known from Kausambi (now in Allahabad Museum, Acc. No. 506) and Deogadh (in Sahu Jaina Museum, Deogadh). The example from Deogadh (11th century A.D.) depicts all the 24 Jinas either as seated or as standing with respective cognizances and the usual pratihāryas and the YakṣaYakṣi figures showing abhaya or varada-mudra and fruit (or lotus or kalasa) in two hands (Pl. 219). Although the Jina figures are not in traditional order, most of them are easily identifiable on account of cognizances.
Another type is the collective rendering of 24 Jinas on the temple facade (Deogadh, Temple No. 12) or in the caves (Barabhuji cave). Such instances are found also from south India, the important places being Gingee (South Arcot, Tamil Nadu, 7th-8th century A.D. on boulder), Venur, Śravanabelagola and Moodbidri, all in Karnataka). REFERENCES
U.P. Shah, Beginnings of Jaina Iconography,' Bulletin of Museums and Archaeology in U.P. (Lucknow), No. 9, June 1972, pp. 1-14; JainaRūpamaṇḍana, New Delhi, 1987; B.C. Bhattacharya, The Jaina Iconography, Delhi, 1974; M.N.P. Tiwari, Jaina Pratimävijñāna, Varanasi, 1981; Elements of Jaina Iconography, Varanasi, 1983; P.B. Desai, Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs, Sholapur, 1963; Klaus Bruhn, The Jina Images of Deogarh, Leiden 1969; C. Sivaramamurti, Panorama of Jaina Art (South India), New Delhi, 1983.
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