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Other Jaina Gods and Goddesses
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mainly in case of the figures carved on the door-lintels of the image (Pratistha-vidhana) of Ganesa. The in the midst of the 14 or 16 auspicious dreams. Lakşmi popularity of Gaṇeśa was mainly confined to the being synonym of beauty is always represented in art Svetāmbara sect and hence no literary reference to with elegance and beauty and bedecked in tastefully Ganesa is found in the Digambara works. Except for carved ornaments.
the two medieval figures of Ganesa, carved in the Khajuraho has yielded eight figures of Laksmi, Digambara Jaina caves at Udaigiri and Khandagiri in of which three independent figures are carved on the Orissa, his representations are found only at the northern and southern facade of the Pārsvanātha Jaina Svetāmbara Jaina sites. temple while the remaining ones are carved on the door- The concept and iconographic features of lintels of the Pārsvanātha and Adinātha Jaina temples. Brahmanical Gaņeśa are fully retained into the Jaina The independent figures depict Lakşmi as possessing pantheon. His worship in Jainism had started seemingly four arms and holding lotuses in upper hands. The lower in the 9th-10th century A.D. as evidenced by the examples right and left hands, however, show the varada-mudrā hailing from Mathura (shown with the Ambikā image, and conch (or water-vessel). The importance of these 9th century A.D.) and the Mahāvīra temple at Ghanerav Lakşmi figures is to be noticed in the rendering of the (Pali district, Rajasthan - 10th century A.D.). The Jaina figures of flanking attendants, devotees and diminutive devakulikās at Osian (11th century A.D.) also contain Jina figures in the parikara. The figures both of Lakşmi the figures of Ganesa. Contrary to the earlier sculptural and Abhișeka-Lakşmi carved on the door-lintels show examples, the earliest literary reference to Ganesa is the four-armed goddess with varada or abhaya-mudrā, found in the Abhidhānacintamani of Hemacandra, while long stalked lotuses (in two hands) and water-vessel. his detailed iconography is enunciated still later in the
An exquisitely carved figure of Abhiseka-Lakşmi Acaradinakara. is depicted in the ceiling of Vimalavasahi (Mt. Abu, The Abhidhānacintāmaņi in its Devakānda (verse 1150 A.D.- Pl. 214). The beautiful figure of four-armed 207) refers to several appellations of Ganesa, such as Lakşmi, sitting cross-legged, holds spiral lotuses in two Heramba, Ganavighnesa, Vinayaka, and visualizes him hands, while two lower hands placed one above other as elephant-headed (having one tusk), pot-bellied, bearing are in dhyāna-mudrā. The two elephants are shown axe and riding on a mouse. The Acāradinakara (Ganapati artistically in spiral lotuses. The lotus seat and Navanidhis Pratistha, 1-2) conceives the elephant-headed, uni-tusked (nine vases) are also drawn beautifully. The two female and pot-bellied Ganapati as possessing two, four, eighteen fly-whisk bearers and Maladharas add to the beauty and even 108 arms. But the attributes of only fourGANESA
armed variety are given in the text. Also, according to Ganesa in Jainism has always been worshipped this work, Ganapati rides on a mouse and shows the as the remover of obstacles and bestower of success varada-mudrā and axe in his right hands while the (siddhi). According to the late Svetāmbara Jaina work, corresponding left ones show the abhaya-mudra and the Acāradinakara of Vardhamanasüri (A.D. 1412), Ganapati modaka (sweet-ball). is propitiated even by the gods for obtaining desirable About twelve figures of Ganesa ranging in date things (Acaradinakara- Ganapati Pratisthā : 3). It is between the 9th and 15th century A.D., are reported from further mentioned that he is worshipped at the beginning different Jaina sites. Of these, in the Svetämbara fold of every auspicious ceremony or of a new project. This alone some seven independent figures are found within tradition is still very common in the Svetāmbara Western India, as at Ghanerav, Osian, Nadlai and community. The text also gives the rites of the installation Kumbharia. These figures are carved mainly as tutelary
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