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Survey of Jaina Monuments of Orissa
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The villages of Badasai, Koisali and Barudi located in close neighbourhood were once replete with Sarāka settlements for which we come across with large number of tanks in and around them.
An image of Mahāvīra is found under worship at a place called Rāni Bandha, three miles from Badasai.39 The National Museum New Delhi has recently acquired a beautiful Tirthankara image (Fig. 1C4) attributable to the 10th-11th century from Mayurbhanja district. The find sport of this image has not been given by the author.40
The Bada Jagannātha temple built by one Vaidyanātha Bhañja in saka 1497 i.e. 1575 A.D. preserves a few Jaina Tirthankara images. Immediately after entering the premises one will notice two seated figures of Pārsvanātha of the Jaina pantheon worshipped as Ananta on either side of the main entrance. They have been kept within separate niches. One of them has earlier been reported in the Archaeological Survey of Mayurbhanja, a pioneer study and investigation of archaeology of the ex-state of Mayurbhanja by N.N. Vasu. These figures are in seated position and lack most of the prominent features of a Jaina Parśvanātha image (Fig. 105). Instead of the canopy of seven hooded shakes they contain nine and thirteen hooded snake canopies over their heads. They also contain symbols of snakes on their pedestals. One of them is inscribed, the reading of which is extremely defaced. On the inner wall of the Jagamohana are found fixed one image of Pārsvanātha (Fig. 105) and another of a rare variety of Rşabhanatha image. The Rşabhanatha figure (Fig. 106) depicts on its sides the images of all other twenty-three Jaina Tirthankaras with their conventional lañchanas. Similar Rşabhanātha figures are also noticed in one of the Jaina shrines of village Suai in Koraput district and in the Baripada Museum. In other cases seated or standing Jaina Tirthańkaras are noticed in panels without their lāñchanas. This provides in brief the clue to study the iconography of Jaina Tirthankaras.
In Baripada branch Museum two other stone Jaina relics found their place. One of them is the figure of Rşabhanātha and the other one is of a chaumukha (chaitya). The Rşabhanātha figure was recovered from village Badasahi in 1924 and the Chaumukha brought from the collections of one Mr. Bose. The Chaumukha contains the figure of Rşabhanatha, Sārtinātha, Chandraprabha and Mahāvira as evident from the lañchanas carved below their pedestals. It has been partially damaged at the top and the remaining portion measures 0.30 mx 0.10m. The Rşabhanātha figure measuring 0.25m x 0.15m is in standing pose on a lotus pedestal with twenty-three other Tirthařkaras along with their symbols arranged in its sides. His hairs arranged in jatā and run up to the shoulders. Among other attributes we find cymbals and drum played in hands, trilinear umbrella, kerala tree, eliptical prabhamandala (halo) and lotus marks the right hand side being damaged) are carved along with the image. His lanchana, the bull and heaps of offerings with devotees are depicted in the pedestal. Perforated jāli design is seen behind the lower portion of the figure.
39. Ibid., p. XLIV 40. P. Banerji, Jaina Art and Achitecture, A Ghose, (Ed.) Vol. I, p. 163, pl. 88.
