Jain Journal 1989 07

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

Page 33

JAIN JOURNAL
One monastic remain of the Jainas is said to have been found at Mainamati, now in Bangladesh. Few Jaina images, mostly fragmentary and appertaining to the Gupta and the post-Gupta times have also found in Bengal.
We have it from Hiuen-Tsang that Jainism was in a flourishing condition in Bengal when he visited parts of the east, north and south Bengal. He also noticed some Jaina temples and establishments therein, Even in the time of this great Chinese traveller, the Digambara Jainas outnumbered their rival sect.
With the revival of Brahmanical faiths and the royal patronage to Buddhism, Jainism went on waning in Bengal from 8th century onwards. But most of the images and temples, as found in Bengal, belong to 9th10th century A.D. though some of them may belong to 11th-12th century A.D. Some Jaina shrines, mostly in a ruinous condition, have been noticed in the westernmost districts of West Bengal and the borderdistricts of Bihara. During the Pala-Sena times the Jainas in Bengal were mostly assimilated in the 'Avadhuta' sect-only to be revived after few centuries-chiefly due to religious zeal or the Jaina imigrants from western-India, some of whom, however, embraced Hinduism afterwards. The bulk of the Jaina religionists may now be found at Azimganj, Jiaganj, Berhampur, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Rampur Boalia, Lohardanga, Manbhum, Bally, Hooghly, Uttarpara and Calcutta. Most of them belonged to Marwar and Bikaner, who came to the aforesaid places for business purpose in or about the 18th century A.D. Most of the temples at Manbhum and Bankura were erected in the 9th-10th centuries. Dalton has attributed the erection of the temples to the Sravakas or Saraks (Jainas) of Manbhum, who came to Manbhum in connection with the working of the copper mines in the adjacent areas in Singhbhum. Like all colonists they followed the river courses and the remains of their temples may be on the banks of the Damodara, Kansavati and Suvarnarekha. These temples, according to Dalton, belong to circa 14th century A. D. But after a detailed survey of the temples in the area, it has been seen that a bulk of them belonged to 9th-10th century A. D. while the other to 11th century A. D. and after. There is an inscribed image, belonging to the ‘Nahar Collections?, Calcutta, which is datable in the 15th century A. D. However, some of these temples were repaired or renovated by Akbar's General Man Singh in the 17th century A. D. Majority of the Jainas of Bengal belonged to the Digambara sect.
Most of the Jaina temples, as noticed in Bengal, have been found in the districts of Bankura and Manbhum. As regards temples in Bankura,