Jain Journal 1993 04

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

Page 53

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JAIN JOURNAL
(1936) in the form of an article followed by a book by B. C. Bhattacharya (1239) on Jaina Iconography which filled a desideratum." B. C. Bhattacharya in his pioneering work has utilised for the first time the iconographic data available in the texts like the Nirvāṇakalikā, the Acăradinakara, Tirṣaṣṭiśaläkāpuruṣacaritra and Pratiṣṭhāsārasaṁgraha. The iconography of all the important Jaina deities of Jaina pantheon has been discussed in his book and an appropriate corroboration with actual art specimens has also been attempted which illustrate mainly the iconic data from Mathura, and in some cases Deogarh.
The study of Jaina iconography was further advanced and was made in true historical perspective by U. P. Shah who made tremendous contributions through his writings in the form of articles and books for about fifty years beginning from 1940 and continuing upto 1988 till the time of his demise. In his wide ranging authentic writings he discussed variety of subjects pertaining to Jaina iconography and Jaina paintings. He was the first to make detailed, indepth and critical use of the literary data belonging to both the Svetambara and Digambara sects and also making their comparisons with the concrete manifestations in sculptural art and painting. Although sporadic references to archaeological data from all over the country was made by U. P. Shah, he has been exhaustive particularly in reference to western India. In his books and articles Shah discussed intensively the Jaina āyāgapaṭas and other symbols and auspicious dreams popular in Jaina art alongwith the important discovery of Jaina bronzes from Akota, His writings on Jivantasvamin, Sasanadevatās, Bahubali, Minor Jaina deities and several other deities and aspects have been pioneering. His recent book entitled Jaina Rupamaṇḍana (1987) is a monumental work on Jaina iconography which, besides the Jaina Tirthankaras, gives the iconography of the Sasanadevatās particularly of Rṣabhanatha, Neminatha, Parsvanatha and Mahavira in detail.10
great
Besides U. P. Shah, a number of scholars like V. S. Agrawala, K. D. Bajpai, H. D. Sankalia, R. C. Agrawala, Debala Mitra, Klaus Bruhn, Balchand Jain, Niraj Jain, R. P. Mohapatra, R. C. Sharma, B. N. Sharma, K. C. Jain, Muni Sri Jayant Vijaya, P. B. Desai, S. Settar and many others have been writing either on different aspects of Jaina
9 B. Bhattacharya, 'Jaina Iconography', Jinācārya Sri Atmanand Janma Śatabdi Smarak Grantha, Bombay, 1936; B C. Bhattacharya, The Jaina Iconography. 1939. 10 U. P. Shah, 'Iconography of the Jaina Goddess Ambikä', Jr. University of Bombay, Vol. IX, 1940-41; Studies in Jaina Art, 1955; Akota Bronzes, 1959; Jaina Rupamandana, 1987.