Jain Journal 1975 07

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

Page 31

A Note on the Exhibition of Jain Art in Calcutta
Amidst the din of life and civilization where the ultimate laurel is allocated for the apotheosis of material science it is sometimes comforting to feel the glow of eternity through a pleasant media bearing gospels of ancient experiences, covetable and unknown. Whatever may be the merits of works as dissertations the theme will perpetually convey the inner charm and the promise of realisation. It is needless to emphasise that the sublimity of perception as an epitome of truth and liberation is resplendent itself without needing any vehicle. The mystery and depth of such an understanding captivate the meditator in man when conveyed by the ferule-of a poet or the brush or pencil of an artist. The Exhibition of Paintings on Jainism in Greater Bengal held in the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta, in April, 1975 thus gave an unprecedented version of the sublimity and legends that have spun around the history of the lives of the Tirthankaras and the luminaries following the doctrine of the Nirgrantha. In accordance with the programme envisaged by Ganesh Lalwani which will reveal a profound scholarship the paintings had been prepared and serially arranged to visualise some of the unforgettable moments in the history of Jainism and the perspective involved. Apart from indicating the importance of the hills of Parsvanatha wherein 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained their Nirvana the Exhibition recalled the life of Mahavira and his wanderings through the western highlands of Bengal and other episodes concerning Bhadrabahu Svami, emperor Samprati, the grandson of Asoka, King Kharavela of Kalinga, Hiuen Tsang, Kalakacarya and Bappa Bhatta Suri. All these precious moments of antiquity have been captured by painters Bibhuti Sengupta and Sudhamaya Dasgupta with a devotion for inner reality and narration. Like glowing murals they depict with sincerity as if within the precincts of a shrine. Some of the panels are extremely fascinating for their narrative value. Among these may be mentioned the scene where young Bhadravahu is leaving his parents and his rural home to be a monk in the Sramana order of the Jains. Another scene depicts the sage Kalakacarya getting aboard a vessel to make his voyage for Suvarnadvipa. On the other hand, the painting which shows Risley noticing the Sarāks, an abbreviation of Jain Sravaka, in Bengal from a palanquin recalls the life of a pioneer in the field. The series of paintings will indeed reveal a scholarship and understanding befitting of the scheme. That Jainism in antiquity spread in Chittagong and Assam