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Jaina Art in Karnataka : Some Examples 5-6. Metal Placque depicting Gapadharas,
19th century, Tanjore School :
This votive placque in the majha at Sravana Beļgoļa is about 27 cms high and represents, according to its inscription in Grantha and Tamil characters, Vrşabhasena-Ganadharan, Bharateśvara-Cakravarti, Gautama-Ganadharan and Sreņika-Mahāmandleśvaran. The last two lines in Kannada state that it is the dharma of Padumaiyya of Kalasa.
In style and execution this placque resembles many others in the matha at Sravana Belgoļa which have been brought by devotees from Tamil Nadu. The connections with Tamil Nadu are understandable in view of the fact that several of the bhaffärakas at Sravana Belgoļa, particularly in the last century, came from Tanjore.
7. Folia from a palm-leaf manuscript of the Trilokasāra,
c. 15-16 century :
This manuscript is a copy of the text composed by Nemicandra, the preceptor of Camundarāya, the man who commissioned the colossus of Bahubali on the Indragiri hill at Sravana Belgola.
Although palm-leaf as a carrier had been discontinued in western and northern India it continued to be employed in Karnataka and also in Orissa until quite recently.
One of the folios of this manuscript depicts the manastambha, an architectural feature found commonly in front of Jaina temples in Karnataka. Some of these free standing pillars are really beautifully conceived and executed. In the whole range of Indian art," observes Vincent Smith, "there is nothing, perhaps, equal to these Kanara pillars for good taste. A particularly elegant example, faces a Jain temple at Mudbidre.”
8. Folio from a paper manuscript of the Pratişthā-Tilaka,
A.D. 1739, Probably painted at Kolhapur :
A profusely illustrated manuscript, it deals with information regarding consecration ceremonies of images and various other rituals conncted with those ceremonies. Pianted in a rather exuberant and folkish style this manuscript shows the influence of the Maratha School of Painting particularly in the costumes.
9. Chovisi of Mabāvira,
c. A.D. 1824; Mysore School :
The Mysore School of Painting is a parallel developmenl to the Tanjore School of Painting. After the defeat of the Vijayanagar Empire, the artists fled
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