Jain Journal 2005 10

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

Page 29

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JAIN JOURNAL VOL-XL. NO. 2 OCTOBER 2005
was discovered at a village called Surohar in Dinajpur district now in Bangladesh. It is the figure of a seated Rṣabhanatha. the first Tirthankara of the Jainas carved in accordance with Pala style of art of about 10th century A.D. Another Rṣabhanatha image has been collected from Mandoil, (not far from Rajshahi) in the kayotsarga mudra with graceful form but headless. It is now preserved in the Asutosh Museum. Another icon of Rṣabhanatha in kāyotsarga mudrā has been found at Bhelowa in Dinajpur district, now in Bangladesh. It is a beautiful specimen of Pala inconographic art assigned to circa 11th century A.D.
One small caumukha shrine has been collected form Dolgaon in West Diajpur (W.B.) and now in the Asutosh museum. From the above mentioned place Mandoil, a beautiful iconographic specimen, i.e. the figure of the standing Santinatha, the 16th Tirthankara of the Jainas with his lanchan carved on the pedestal has been discovered and the sculpture has been assigned to the 11th century A. D. on slylistic considaration.22
Another Tirthankara image, may be of Candraprabha, standing in kayotsarga style has been found from Govindapur in Dinajpur district which is also a beautiful specimen of Pāla sculpture assigned to the 10th century A.D. The head of this beautiful icon has been struck off, no body knows how. Two sculptures representing the images of Divine couple, may be the parents of Tirthankara collected from Deopara, Rajshahi, have been preserved at Varendra research museum. One of these sculptures has been assigned to the 10th century and the other to 12th century A.D. The discovery of these sculptures proves beyond doubt that Pundravardhana Bhukti including the Kotivarṣaviṣya had not lost its popularity and importance as the traditional strong-holds of Jainism during the reign of the Pāla kings.
In conclusion, it is to be stated that during the Pala reign in Bengal, the religion of the Nirgranthas or Jainas did not suffer any decline. On the contrary, in the liberal and eclectic atmosphere created
21. K.K. Ganguly, Jaina Art in Bengal. Exhibition of Jaina Art Souvenir P. C. Dasgupta - Jain Journal, Vol X. No. 4.
22.