________________
EAST INDIA of the head. The elephant-lanchone is carved below the pedestal. As pointed pret by Dach an couliar feature in this figure is that Aitanátha hae heen cha here in atyanchana, though according to Jaina tradition he, together with Sambhavanatha and Abhinandana, should be shown in khadgdsana.
The image of Santinátha is also in dhyündsana. The couri-bearers and the Gandharvas are shown in the same way, as in the figure of Ajitanätha. The hair-style of both these Tirthankaras is also similar. Below the pedestal of Santinátha is carved his cognizance, the decr.
The remaining image from Charampa is that of Mahāvira in kdyotsargapose. The face of the image is badly mutilated. The cognizance-mark, the lion, is carved at each corner of the pedestal. The couri-bearers flanking the Tirthankara stand on a lotus placed on the beads of the lanchanas.
In the reserve-collection of the Orissa State Museum there are a few interesting stone Jaina images, of circa tenth century, from different places of the State. They include a Santinātha, & caumukha and a Supårsvanātha, all from Jaleswar, District Balasore, a fragmentary Mahāvira, from Tigiria, a Parsvanātha, findspot not known, and an Ambikā, from District Koraput. The distinguishing feature of Supărśvanātha is an emblem of five snake-hoods. and that of Pārsvanatha a seven-hooded snake.
The Museum also houses a very important group of bronze images found in Banpur. They represent (1) seated Ambikā with a child in her lap under a mango-branch, (2) standing Ašokā or Månavi, holding the branch of a tree, a bear being shown on the pedestal, (3) seated Párśvanátha with seven hoods of a serpent, (4) standing Pārsvanátha with the snake-emblem shown on the pedestal, and (5) a beautiful image of Adinātha standing on a lotus-pedestal in kayotsarga-pose. The image of Adinátha in the group is an example of fine workmanship, with a beautiful jafd-bhara, a serene expression of the face and a graceful outinc of the body. It bears an inscription recording that it was the gift of one Srikara. ,
The Banpur bronzes show a skilful execution in a tradition comparable with that of Nalanda and Kurkihar. They do not seem to have been adequately noticed anywhere as yet. Unfortunately, good photographs have not been Available for illustration here
During the medieval period Khandagiri was perhaps the most important centre of Jaina art in Orissa. Hleze a few caves which had been excavated
161
