Four Panca Tirthikas From Bhagalpur

Author(s): Ajoy Sinha
Publisher: Ajoy Sinha

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JANUARY, 1987 105 posture. By the side of the cach mla-nji yaka's halo re two seating Tirthunkarus also in dccp mcditation and on cach end is it cincin Gandharva. Pair of truncatcd clephants are un cither side of mule na yaka's chaira. On the right and left ends of the lion-throne of the mula-nayaka are shown respectively the figures of the attendant Yaksa and Yaksi. In the centre of the lower-most end of the pedestal is placed the mother goddess seated in the ardha-paryankasana. The shrine is iopped by a beautiful finial flanked by pair of fishes. * The earliest of these Pancii-Tirthikais bears the date samvat 1523 (A.D. 1466). The mula-nayaka in this icon is Bhagavan Sambhavanatha, the third Jaina Tirthankara (fig. 1). It bears an inscription on its back. The next belonged to samvat 1591 (A.D. 1524) and its mula-nuyuku is Bhagavan Santinatha, the sixteenth Jaina Tirthankura (lig. 2). The third bears the date samvai 1585 (A.D. 1528). The mula-nayaka in this icon is Bhagavan Adinatha, the first Tirthankara (fig. 3). The last PancaTirthika belonged to samvat 1603 (A.D. 1546) and its mula-nayaka is Bhagavan Sumatinatha, the fifth Jaina Tirthankara (lig. 4). Stylistically, all these four icons belonged to one school and show similarities with the western school of Jaina metal art. The Panca-Tirthikus from Bhagalpur show similarities with the Panca-Tirthikus from west India displayed in the Los Angeles County Museum (U.S.A.),: Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, Central Archaeological Museum, Gwalior and one enshrined in Sagardighi, Murshidabad." But in comparison lo cich other the Bhagalpur Pancu-Tirihikus arc artistic from iconographic point of view as thcy contain all iconographic details. i Ghosh, A., Jaina Art and Architecture, Vol. III, pl. 333. $ Sharma, B. X., Jaina Prurimaren (New Delhi-1979), p. 9. "Lalwani, Ganesh, Bhugavan Mohavir (C:lcult:-1974). pl. 13.