Jain Journal 1984 04

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

Page 36

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JAIN JOURNAL
Tirthankara Mahavira identified from the mutilated portion of the lañchana, lion, and being flanked by the aștagrahadevatās like that of the image of Santinatha described above. The village of Ambikanagar situated on the confluence of the Kangsavati and Kumari owing its name to its tutelary deity Ambika and now being worshipped as a Brahmanical deity after enshrinement in a modern brick temple built over the foundations of a stone temple of an earlier period and perhaps associated with the Sāsanadevī Amra or Ambika conceals a Jaina place of pilgrimage as the reported findings of some Jaina images from its surroundings would testify. (Cf. “Some Jaina Antiquities from Bankura, West Bengal”-by Srimati Debala Mitra, in Journal of the Asiatic Society, Letters, Vol. XXIV, No. 2, 1958). From the village Barkola situated about 2 miles east from Ambikanagar we have collected a beautiful image of the Sasanadevi Ambika standing on lotus with her vāhana lion while a child holds her left hand. Her Jina Neminatha the twenty second Tirthankara has been placed above her head in the centre. Two other miniature images each personifying a Tirthankara standing in kāyotsarga pose on a lotus flanked by an attendant on each side have also been acquired for our Gallery from the same village. The cognizance of one is either bull or makara indicating either Rshabhanatha or Subidhinatha, while the other is represented by his lāñchana elephant representing the Tirthankara Ajitanatha. One miniature votive temple depicting on each of its four faces the figure of a standing Tirthankaras perhaps giving an idea about the architectonic shape and other features of the contemporary architectural style of the extinct temple was also noticed by us at the same place. Now after moving across northwards by crossing the confluence of the Kumari and the Kangsavati we come across at the village Pareshnath, no doubt named after the shrine of the twenty-third Tirthankara Pars Here one can observe a gigantic sculpture representing Pars (height 6'8{") reduced to fragments which are now lying over the ruined plinth of the ancient temple. Nicely executed on the chlorite rock the sculpture presents a beautiful and bold representation of the Tirthankara flanked by the other Tirthankaras standing in groups. From further upstream in the Kangsavati valley at places like Kendua and Loadihi findings of Jaina antiquarian remains in the form of ruined temples and mutilated sculptural pieces have been reported. That the Jaina Tirthankara Parsvanatha was greatly venerated by the followers of Jainism specially of this district is corroborated from the presence of stone images of this deity enshrined in the temples at Bahulara and Dharapat situated near Vishnupur, and which are being worshipped in the name of Manasa, the snake-goddess. The seven hooded serpent canopy manifesting over
head of the Tirthankara has been wrongly taken by the local inhabitants as that of the nāgacchatra of Manasa.