History of Early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

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Archaeological Site / 15
Bhadrabāhu-1 along with his royal disciple Maurya emperor Candragupta, in C. 310 B. C. E. [Bhuvanen drakumar: Canadian Studies in Jainism : 1996 : 1-4] Later, Jainism had the good fortune to muster the patronage of so powerful a dynasty as the Gangas, in addition to the two coeval royal families of the Banavāsi Kadambas and the Bādāmi Cālukyas, to whom the Jainas owe so much. After the 4th century C.E, the doctrines promulgated by the Jinas spread everywhere in Karnataka. It spread so extensively and so fast that, Jainism became the faith of a greater number of people
than ever before in Karnatak. 4.3.4 B.L.Rice has placed on record some useful information of
socio-historical importance: the copper plate grant was found in the burried ruins of the Jain Basti discovered at Noņmangala in 1897. The farmers of Noņamangala, when ploughing near their village, came upon traces of a wall. The spot being excavated, there was laid bare the base of a Jaina temple. The walls were composed of very large sized bricks, which were only about 1 1/2 inch in thickness. Near the doorway on the cast, stuck in crevice of the wall, were found the plates Malur. 73. In the north wall, near the side of the shrine, was a small chamber or cupboard, partly projecting from the wall. In this were found the plates Malur. 72, together with a number of other articles. These were a metal elephant, eight (or an octave) of conch-shells pierced for use as musical instruments, five metal Jaina images of different sizes and pieces of other metal articles, such as bells, lamp stands, dish, finial, and plinth. On one of the conch shells was inscribed in Hala (Old) Kannada characters, the word Peļmudi, which might be to distinguish it as having a large volute or it might be a name either of the instrument or of its place in the octave or of the performer on it