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78
Jaina Monuments of Orissa
verandah of the Museum. damaged and missing.
Its right side, pedestal and upper part including head are
Apary
Apart from the Banapur hoard of bronzes, in the Art section of the Orissa State Museum some six more metal Jaina icons brought from different part of Orissa are under display. Of the six, two are from Kakatpur of Puri District and one from Bayree of Cuttack district. The rest three have no provenance recorded in the Museum. We discuss the last three here.
The first image of this group (No.452) can with much difficulty be identified with Pārsvanātha (Fig.59). It is designed standing in kāyotsarga pose on a double petalled lotus pedestal supported by a plain circular base. Hands of the Tirthankara touch the knee region. The canopy of seven hooded snake though not available yet the portion of it seen to the right indicate its link with the snake. Other pratiharyas are conspicuous in their absence. It measures 8 cm in height.
The next figure of this group is of Tirthankara Santinātha (No.507) (Fig.60) carved standing in kāyotsarga pose on a double petalled lotus pedestal supported by a square base. Deer, the conventional lañchana of the Tirthankara is depicted below the pedestal with a group of devotees seated all round. Hands of the Tirthankara run up to the lower parts of the thigh. Hairs of the head are arranged in curled knots with uşnisa at the certre. Other attributes are not traced along side of the figure. It measures 13.8 c.m. in height.
The third figure in the series is of Ambika (Fig.61) yakșini (No.458) fashioned seated in lalita pose on a double petalled lotus pedestal supported by an eliptical base. Lion, her conventional vehicle, is not visible in the pedestal. She carries the baby on her left lap whereas her right hand displays a bunch of mangoes from which another standing to the right is attempting to pluck. The mango tree heavily laden with leaves is depicted at the back. Her Tirthankara, Neminātha is found seated in yogāsana over head. She is profusely decorated with ornaments like crown, necklace, earrings girdles, bangles, armlets, and anklets. The image including the pedestal measures 9 c.m. in height.
R.P. Chanda has brought to our notice a remarkable group of Jaina sculptures preserved in the British Museum, London. His observation is quoted below.13
Four remarkable Jaina statues of steatite, two standing images of the Jina Pārsvanatha (No.95, 19x8.7 inches and No. 96, 14.7 x 7.5 inches), a standing woman with two children and a seated Jina on a tree above her head (No.94, 16.5 x 9 inches) and a stele bearing standing images of the Jina Rşabha and Mahavira (No.99, 26.7 x 14.2 inches) probably came from the collections of Jaina images deposited in the Jaina cave temples at Khandagiri near Bhubaneswar in Orissa. Some very similar Jaina images are still to be
13. R.P. Chanda, Medieval Indian sculptures in the British Museum, London, 1936 p. 71.
