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Jaina-Rupa-Mandana
cap-like jață standing in kayotsarga pose, on a double lotus, under a trefoil-shaped arch. In the centre of the pedestal is the bull cognizance. The sculpture is a Covisi image with other Tirthankaras represented in miniature forms on two sides of Ṛsabha. A Covisi sculpture of Rṣabha from Manbhum is preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. A sculpture of Rsabha with a similar big jață, attended by two chowriebearers, and with four planets on each side is preserved in the National Museum (no. 74.64). Here too the bull is shown in the centre of the pedestal and just below the double-lotus beneath the feet of Ṛsabha. The image seems to have hailed from Bihar. All images of Rṣabha from Bihar, Bengal and Orissa show a big jață on the head tied high like a big cap. A beautiful sculpture of this Jina, with lower half mutilated, probably from Orissa, shows the Jina standing in the käyotsarga mudra (National Museum no. 74.67). Ṛsabha sitting in padmasana with the typical jața overhead, hailing from Mayurbhanja, preserved in the National Museum, is published in Jaina Art and Architecture (henceforth referred to as JAA), vol. I, p. 163, pl. 88. The sculpture dates from c. tenth-eleventh century A.D. R.P. Mohapatra published33 an image of Rşabhanatha, from Hatadiha, in Jeypore sub-division of Cuttack district, with the usual characteristics of Rsabhanatha images of tenth century from Orissa. The back-slab is relieved with figures of Tirtnaakaras in two rows of 12 each. Figure 25 represents a standing Rṣabha with two rows of planets on the two sides, a triple umbrella above with leaves on its sides suggesting the caitya tree. On each side of the halo is a celestial garland-bearer and hands beating the drum. Rṣabha has the usual big jafă and stands on a viśva-padma (double-lotus) below which is the bull symbol. The sculpture is now preserved in Musee Guimet, Paris, and seems to have come from Orissa.
During the mediaeval period, Khandagiri was perhaps a very important Jaina centre, in Orissa. Here a few caves, excavated earlier for residence of Jaina monks were converted into shrines with the addition of relief sculptures carved on the walls. Cave 7, called the Navamuni, has an inscription of the time of Udyotakesarin of Somavamsi dynasty (eleventh century) which refers to a Jaina monk Khalla Subhacandra of the Desi-gana. Images of seven Tirthankaras are carved in a row in low relief on the back wall, along with their Sasana-devis in a lower row. They are Rṣabhanatha and Cakreśvarī, Ajitanatha and Rohini, Sambhavanatha and Prajñapti, Abhinandana and Vajraśṛnkhala, Väsupujya and Gandhārī, Pärśva and Padmavati, Neminatha and Ambika. The row of Sasana-devis is preceded by a figure of Gaṇeśa. Again on the right wall are carved in high relief figures of Rşabha and Pārśva, both in standing posture and nude, but without their attendant yakṣis. The sculptures date from c. tenth-eleventh century A.D.34
Cave 8 called Barabhuji has on its walls relief carvings of 24 different Tirthankaras, each with his Sasana-yakṣi and a figure of Parsvana tha on the back-wall this time without the yakṣi. There is no śrivatsa mark on the chest of any of the Tirthankaras in both the caves. In cave 9 there are three standing images of Rsabhanatha in chlorite, installed on pedestals. On top of the hill is a modern Jaina temple preserving some old Jaina sculptures including a few of Rṣabhanatha.
In the State Museum at Bhuvaneśvara, Orissa, are a few Jaina bronzes obtained from Bănpur. Amongst them is a beautiful standing Rşabhanatha with the high jata-bhara on head and the bull cognizance in the centre of the pedestal. A similar iconographic type is a beautiful bronze of standing Ṛsabha from Kākaṭpur, now preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (see Fig. 32).
Arun Joshi has brought to light certain interesting Jaina sculptures from the Khijjinga area. 35 He has published a beautiful sculpture of Rsabha in the sitting posture with two attendant chowrie-bearer yaksas and the bull cognizance in the centre of the simhasana. The sculpture, now in Baripada Museum, dates from c. 8th-9th century A.D. Another sculpture published by him, also from Khijjinga, dates from c. 10th century A.D. and shows Rṣabha standing with two smaller Tirthankaras standing on each side. He wears a big crown-like jata, has an attendant camaradhara yakṣa on each side but no sasana-yakṣa and yakși are shown. The bull symbol is in the centre of the pedestal. In the mediaeval sculptures from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, so far discovered, Sasanadevatās (yakşa and yakşi) do not usually accompany images of Tirthankaras as in Western India and Madhya Pradesh, nor do we always find the dharmacakra in the centre of the pedestal. The sculpture described above is a Pañcatirthi of Rşabhanatha. Arun Joshi has also published a Covisi of Rṣabha from the same area.
From Podasingadi in the forest region of Baula hill ranges in Anandapur division, Keonjhar district,
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