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Patali
411
Mahāvīra in the centre with Ācāryas on right and left. A set of Patalis show in a row the 24 mothers of Jinas of this age; another shows 63 salākāpuruşas while a third one shows 16 Mahāvidyās of Jaina Tantric worship.
The Pāšalis executed in Western Indian style have linear energy, angular outlines and exaggerated body proportions and facial features, farther eyes protruding beyond the outline of the face similar to palm-leaf miniatures.
At the end of 13th century a new development occures in the Jaina miniature painting, when the narrative content of the texts begins to receive attention in the Jaina society. The legends, existed during the period, got pictorial narration on Pătalis which include scenes from the life of the Jinas (Pl. 287 a and b), incidents from the lives of the great Jaina monks etc. One such example of Patali dated V.S. 1456 (A.D. 1399) represents king conversing with queen Trisalā, astrologer interpreting the dream of the queen, birth of Mahāvīra, Harinaigameşin carrying Mahāvīra to Mt. Meru for birth ceremony, Indra performing the lustration
ceremony, Siddhārtha and Trisalā conversing, marriage of Mahāvīra, Mahāvīra being carried on the palanquin for the initiation ceremony, Mahāvīra plucking his hair, Mahāvīra practising penance in the kāyotsarga-mudrā etc. Some of the Pātalis depict scenes from the previous as well as last existences of Jinas - Mahāvīra, Sāntinātha and Pärsvanätha.
Several of the Pătalis have survived and are now stored carefully in the Jaina Bhandāras (Jaina Jñana Bhandāra, Jaisalmer, Atmārāmaji Jñana Mandira, Baroda etc.) of Gujarat and Rajasthan, private collections and different museums in India and abroad. Quite a number of painted Patalis of Jaina palm-leaf manuscripts have come to light during the last few decades from Western India. REFERENCES
Saryu Doshi, Masterpieces of Jain Painting, Bombay, Marg Publications, 1985 ; C.M. Punyavijayaji and U.P. Shah, 'Some Painted Book covers from Western India', Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art (Special No.), Calcutta, 1966, pp. 34-44.
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