________________
INTRODUCTION
In the vast domain of Indian art, the Jaina Iconography, unfortunately, signalizes a great blank. Except a few useful contributions by the late Dr. Burgess and Prof. D.R. Bhandarkar, the subject, as a whole, is left practically unexplored. There is as inuch truth in the fact that the great majority of the Brāhmaņic sculptures of ancient dates are unrecognised by the ordinary Hindu Public as there is in the case of old Jaina images, which dely accurate identification even by an orthodox Jaina. The cause is, however, not far to seck. Time and evolution of custom 11.1ve cut short the claborale Jaina Pantheon, economising iininensely the details of its ancient statuary. In consequence, in no Jaina temple of modern times, one can easily notice, the important entourage of the Tīrthaikaras, less probably, onc would expect there to meet with all the canonically fashioned deities of Jainisın. On the contrary side, however, uptodate exploration at the ancient Jaina sites has rendered abundant possibilities to students of history and the Jaina world to see with a new vision nearly a full number of representative Jaina images. Hence, the need arises to collect informations, literary and archaeological, which would systematise our present knowledge of the Jaina Iconography. As we, thus, proceed with the same subject in hand, we would, at the outset, offer a preliminary treatincnt of the Jaina rcligion and philosophy in its most characteristic form. Fundamentals of Jaina Religion
This Religion may be described, in its very clemental features, as an Arya or Indian Sectarian Religion.' Contentions arise and develop, when only it asserts its heresy against the orthodox Brāhmanic Rcligion by rejecting the authority
1. "The Jaina Religion like Buddhism is held to have been originally an
off-shoot froin Hinduism, and many Jainas still continue to consider themselves as members of the Hindu Community, will intermarry with Hindus and take part in their festivals." Census of India Vol. 1. Part I Rofort (Gorcrument Printins, 1924). Their total populatior is 178, 596.
