Holy Abu

Author(s): Jayantvijay
Publisher: Yashovijay Jain Granthmala

Page 61

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Holy, Åbu information about economic conditions of those times from incidental references in cases where a donee lays apart a certain number of current coins for expenses towards maintenance of lamps etc. in these shrines. The place-names are useful to archæologists in identifying or exploring old sites,
In the whole of the mediæval period down to c. 17th century A. D. we find a large number of inscribed bronzes scattered over the whole of Gujarāt, and Rājasthān. These bronzes show the extent to which Gujarat had developed the art of metal-casting in these centuries. Some of the specimens are of great artistic merit while others, like the brass images in the Chaumukha shrine at Achalgadh are noteworthy for their magnitude. The famous image of Rşhabhanātha in the Pittalahara shrine is equally noteworthy, for its magnitude and the rich carving, of its elaborate parikara. Fortunately the inscription on this bronze (inscription no. 411, Abu, Vol. II) supplies us the name of the artist, namely, Sutradhāra Devā (Sutāra in inscription no. 410, op. cit.) who hailed from Mehsāņā in North Gujarāt (between Ahmedabad and Ābu Road station ) and was the son of Sutradhāra Mandana. In inscription no. 409, we find names of some other artists of this age, namely, 1525 V. S. The big bronze image of Ādinātha in the Chaumukha shrine at Achalgadh, installed by Samghavi Sahasā, was cast in V. S. 1566 by Sutradhāra Haradāsa, the son of Sutradhāra Arbuda, the son of Su. Depā, the son of Su. Vāchhā. 1
Another big brass image in the same shrine, installed in V.S. 1518, was cast at Dungarpur (originally a part of North Gujarat, now in Rājasthān) by Sutradhāra Lumbhā, Lampā and others.
1 Inscription no. 464, Abu, Vol. II. 2 Inscription no.-467, op. cit.