Indian Culture and Jainism

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Vidya Samsthan

Page 35

in the Deccan, at Śravanabelagola in Mysore and at Mūdabidri in South Kanara!"
Another remarkable contribution of the Jainas to the whole of Indian art, is the free standing pillars found in front of almost every Jaina temple in South India82. There are more than twenty such pillars in the district of south Kanara alone. Nothing can surpass the stately grace of these beautiful pillars. During the past one hundred years numerous such pillars have been erected in different parts of the country83. The Jainas generally call these pillars Mānastambhas84. Apart from pillars, a tower known as Kīrtistambha in Cittoda, Rājasthāna was constructed in 12th cent. A.D. and it was dedicated to Adīnātha85.
It may be noted here that "the most distinctive contribution of Jainism to art was in the realm of icon-making. Innumerable, Jaina images made of stone, metal inclduing gold, silver and bronze, wood, terracotta, and even precious stones, are available86." On the basis of the Hāthīgumphā inscription (2nd cent. B.C.) of Khāravela, the history of Jaina iconography takes us back at least to the 4th cent. B.C.:
The Mathurā School of Art speaks of the development of Jaina icons from the 1st cent. B.C., to 12th cent. A.D. Statues of Tīrthạnkara were made by Jainas in good number. In the Mathurā School "Ādīnātha or Rşabhanātha was shown with hair falling on his shoulders and Parávanātha had a snake canopy over his head and 22nd Tīrthankara Neminātha was presented flanked by Balarāma and Krsna87." The Image of Sarasvati is found at Mathurā (132 A.D.). This is the earliest statue of Sarasvatī known to us. Gradually it assumed many forms88. This shows that Sarasvatī was worshipped in Jaina tradition. Undoubtedly the most remarkable of the Jaina statues is the statue of Bāhubali situated at Śravanabelagola in Mysore (constructed in 983 A.D. by Cāmundarāya and it is 56'/, Ft. in Height) It is the largest free standing statue in Asia89.
Painting on walls, palm-leaves and paper : The earliest example of wall paintings is found in Sittanavāsala cave in Tamilnādu in the 7th. cent. A.D. In the 10th. and 11th cent. A.D. the temple of Tirumalāi presents beautiful wall paintings%. After 11th cent. A.D. paintings on palm-leaves began. The palm-leaves paintings are found at Mudabidrī in the South and at Pātana (Gujarāta) in the North". In London is preserved
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Indian Culture and Jainism