History of Early Ganga Monarchy and Jainism

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

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48/Ganga Monarchy & Jainism
rock-cut tradition (at Tippuru), however, suggests an impact of the extant early Chalukyan style closer at Badami and also Ellora. But K.R. Srinivasan's earlier view that 'one is struck by the total absence of this rockarchitecture effort in the whole of the Mysore country and Kongu area that formed Gangavadi'. This might not be valid now in the light of the Tippūru evidence" [ibid., 185]. Sallekhanā
9.1 Death and the rituals followed reflect and confirm the religion of the deceased. A consistant factor in the annals of the Ganga dynasty is that they faithfully followed the Jaina faith, and lived the ideal life of a lay votary, constantly in dialogue with their Jaina preceptors. Many of the Ganga charters, from the earliest to the latest, echo and confirm the influence of Jaina mendicants, both the friar and the nun.
9.2 Members of the Ganga family, men and women together, went to an extent of adopting and responding to the teachings of renunciating the profane desires. Many of the kings, including their spouses, towards the end of their life, after matured consideration, willingly abdicated the throne and submitted to the inevitable death, by accepting the rigid rules of sallekhana. A hoard of nisidhi memorial columns, discovered recently at Koppal, bear a testimony to this religious ritual [Nagarajaiah, Hampa: 1998-A].
9.2.1 Particularly towards the second half of the tenth century, after Tailapa-II (973-97) nailed the Rāṣṭrakūta coffin with a crushing blow, a strong sense of destitute haunted the loyal Ganga family. The forlon Gangas lost their terrestrial interests and took refuge in the monastery. They distributed whatever was left, gave gifts to the basadis, bid adieu to the every day worldly life, accepted sanyasana (monkhood) and finally submitted to sallekhanā, exclusively a Jaina socio-religious practice.