Jain Journal 1975 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 19

JULY, 1975
Kalinga from Bihar presumably via Manbhum and Singhbhum, as it appears from the geographical factor of continguity between these two territories. Even to-day there flourishes a class of the Brahmanas who call themselves Pacchima Brahmana 65. They also say this that they belong to the oldest branch of Aryavamsa which set its foot there at very early times. The oldest Sramana parampara was of the early Aryans (the Indo-Alpinian Aryans), but these Aryans, having advanced to India before the advent of the Vedic Aryans, lived in Magadha-Videha in the very beginning. It seems that there is no room for doubt about it. From this point of view the account of Pacchima Brahmanas appears to be of great historical importance. Rajagrha and Pava of Patna District and Parsvanatha Hill of Hazaribag District are the famous places among the archaeological sites spread over the whole of Magadha. But the Jaina temples and images found in different parts of Manbhum and Singhbhum are proved to be older than the images, etc., which are found at present at these places. Many of them were worshipped by the Hindus, thinking them as their own Dharmayatana (temple). At some places the Jaina images are worshipped by the name of Bhaironatha, e.g., one found at Burdwan (West Bengal) on the bank of Krishnasayar ; at other places they are accepted as the images of the Pandavas.
The Jaina images which have been preserved in Patna Museum, after having collected from various places, are assigned to the period earlier than the eleventh Century A.D.66 The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang (7th Century A.D.)67 made mention of a large number of the Nirgranthas flourishing in Bihar. He stated in his account in general that the Jaina monks of both the Digambara and Svetambara sects were spread throughout Northern India from Taxila to Grddhakuta (Rajagrha) and in the east the Nirgranthas were found in great number at Pundravardhana (North Bengal) and Samatata (East Bengal)68. From the references of the Chinese pilgrim to them there is obtained a well corroborated account of the development and well propagation of Jainadharma made by the Jaina missions in the whole of North India and East India.
15
From the archaeological excavation of Kankali Tila of Mathura there have been found the remains of a very old stupa and two Jaina temples. It is known from the archaeological materials obtained there that there flourished a great centre of Jaina Sangha from the period of
65 Dr. H. L. Jain, Bharatiya Sanskrtimen Jaindharmka Yogadan, p. 33. 66 See P. C. Ray Chaudhury, Jainism in Bihar, also Bharatiya Sanskrtimen Jaindharmka Yogadan, p. 34.
67 Ibid., p. 34.
68 Ibid., p. 34.