Jain Journal 1984 04

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

Page 26

138
Early Jaina Art and Architecture of Bengal
The above literary and religious traditions regarding northern and western Bengal being the stronghold of Jainism and adjacent Bihar districts specially Manbhum, Singhbhum, Ranchi and part of Hazaribagh coming under its orbit is buttressed by indisputable and significant archaeological evidences in shape of inscriptions, scores of stone and brick temples and hundreds of images scattered throughout this Jaina cultural zone of eastern India.
Recent archaeological discoveries have yielded multiple records bearing testimony of the sway of Jainism over early Bengal, which showed no signs of decay till the Pala-Sena period. The influence of Jainism was checked only with the rise of Buddhism and Brahmanism in the 8th century A.D. For example the Paharpur (Dt. Rajshahi, Bangladesh) Copper Plate of 478 A.D. testifies to the existence of a Jaina vihara at the place as early as the fifth century A.D. Some other remarkable early mediaeval images from North Bengal (now in Rajshahi Museum), majority of sculptures and temples still found in the western districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Burdwan, Midnapur and 24-Parganas belonging to the period between the 7th and 11th centuries A.D. betray Jaina allegiance. The earliest brick and stone temple of Bengal, viz., Siddhesvara at Bahulara, Dt. Bankura (10th century A.D.) and temple No. IV at Begunia, Dt. Burdwan (c. 8th century A.D.) seem to have served as the prototypes of similar contemporary and later structures in Purulia, Manbhum, Singhbhum, Ranchi and outlying areas.2 The discovery of several early mediaeval Jaina images in the precinct of the Bahulara temple and the Harmasra temple, also in the Bankura district, lead one to suppose that originally they were dedicated to Jaina worship. Similar may be the case with two other ruined stone temples of Bankura of c. 10th century A.D., viz., Saresvara and Sallesvara. Excavation of some monumental stone images of Jaina Tirthankaras within the enclosure of the only early standing brick temple of Deuliya, Dt. Burdwan almost contemporary with Bahulara lead to the inescapable conclusion that it too was Jaina. Besides, the figure of Jina Parsvanatha, found at Deulbhira Bankura of the 10th century A.D. now preserved in the Indian Museum other rare metal and stone images of the 9th and 10th centuries from Katwa, Ujani etc. preserved in the Asutosh Museum and Bangiya Sahitya Parishad Museum point to wide
JAIN JOURNAL
2 Banerjee, R. D., Eastern Indian School of Mediaeval Sculptures, pls. LXXXVLXXXVI.
3 Ibid., pls. LXXXI, LXXXIV. History of Bengal, fig. 85.