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Jaina Art of Orissa
Jaina art in Orrissa is represented through the relief sculptores of Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves and the large number of figurines in bronze and stone. The early phase of this art in Orissa is concentrated on the caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri hills. These caves as indicated earlier were commissioned during the period of the Chedi rule in the first century B.C. They broadly represent two categories of sculptural representations. The first category relates to the narrative panels on the facades of Rāņi-Gumphā, Ganesa-Gumphā, Mañchapuri-Gumphā, Jaya-Vijaya-Gumphā of Udayagiri and Ananta-Gumphā of Khandagiri by depicting various aspects of dancing performances, military conquests, popular legends and religious observances. The other category comprised of individual figurines in relief such as guards, bracket figures, Vidyadharis; crowning animals and a series of decorative motifs of both floral and linear within the arch-bands, pilasters, brackets, railings, etc. in almost all the caves of the place.
The narrative panels of Rāņi-Gumphā are represented in the facades of its lower main wing, upper main wing, lower right wing and outer walls of the guard rooms envisaged on the two corners of the lower main wing. They are in fact the most extensive series of sculptured scenes to be found in any rock-cut examples of their age and even in their ruined state, are full of interest to the history of cave art.
There are nine sculptured friezes extending over the facade of the lower main wing and its immediate turn in the eastern end. Except three, all others are defaced and can be seen in outline only. The opening frieze depicts a tree and a double storeyed building with barrel-vaulted roof crowned by a row of finials. The lower storey has two doors each with a straight hypertherion having an arched moulding over it. The upper storey has a door similar in character to the lower one. There is a female figure looking out from each door and one also from the balustrated balcony which is protected by rail of four bars, a similar bar runs in front of the lower storey.
The scenes from second to seventh are badly mutilated. However with difficulty they can be attributed to various aspects of royal conquests or military activities.
