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EPIGRAPHIC AND NUMISMATIC SOURCES
[PART VI Karnataka State may be said to be the second home of Jainism. This is testified to not only by the existence of several important Jaina centres like Sravanabelgola, Mudabidure (Mudbidri), Karkala and Bhatkal possessing a mass of interesting works of art but also by the numerous epigraphs discovered in different parts of this State. Jainism was the state-creed in the time of the Gangas, of some of the Kadamba rulers, of the Råştrakūtas and Kalacuryas and of the Hoysalas, as also of the rulers of the minor states of Punnāta, the Säntaras, the early Cargalvas, the Kongaļavas and Aļupas, as testified by their inscriptions. From at least the fifth century, the followers of this religion began to use works of art for the propagation of their cult. This is known from a number of copper-plate charters issued by the early Kadamba kings registering grants to Jaina institutions like temples. A copper-plate charter dated in the eighth regnal year of Kadamba Mrgeśavarman (circa fifth century) records the construction of a Jaina temple by the king in memory of his father. The credit of having created a beautiful and an early example of temple in the Dravidian style goes to the Jainas of this State; this is the Meguti temple at Aihole. In this temple there is an inscription of the Calukya king Pulakesin II dated in 634-35 (plate 303). The author of the record was Ravikirtti, who arranged for the construction of the temple. During the period of the Rāştrakūtas several Jaina monuments were erected, although only a few of them contain inscriptions.
To the Western Gangas we owe some of the important Jaina works of art. As early as the time of Sripuruşa, temples were built, to which he made grants as known from an inscription. The famous Gommateśvara statue at Sravanabelgola bears a label in four different scripts (plate 304B). There are several other monuments like temples at that place, some of them bearing inscriptions.
The Hoysala period of the history of Karnataka is distinguished for the creation of marvellous pieces of architecture. Though most of them are dedicated to Brāhmanical deities, there are some interesting specimens of Jaina temples also of this period. One of them is the Jaina temple of Lakkundi (ancient Lokkigundi) near Gadag in Dharwar District. This temple also is in
1 B.L. Rice, Mysore and Coorg from Inscriptions, London, 1909, p. 203. * Indian Antiquary, VI, 1877, pp. 1 ff.
See above, chapter 18.-Editor.] * Epigraphia Indica, VI, 1900-01, pp. I ff. . Rice, op. cit., p. 39. • Guide to Sravanabelgola, Department of Archaeology, Mysore, 1957.
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