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Jaina Monuments of Orissa
repertoire of carving in the Jaina cave in the extreme east of India is prove of its universal popularity.
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The figures in the next panel are much mutilated and it is difficult to describe them in detail. However from the available evidences it can be inferred that the panel. centres round the performance of a dance sequence accompanied by rich display of an orchestra troupe in the presence of two important personalities. From the series of attendants, representation of umbrella, the insignia of royalty and lavish display of decorative costumes and ornaments on their persons, the two important personalities can be identified with a royal couple enjoining a dance sequence. The subject matter of the next three full spandrils are lost.
M.M. Chakravarty, on the basis of Parivanatha-Charita written by Bhavadeva Suri of the 13th century A.D. connects these representations of this story with Parsvanatha the twenty-third Tirthankara of the Jaina pantheon. He argues "the elephant scene introduces Pārsva's future wife with her relatives and attendants, that in the next scene she is abducted by the Kalinga king, that in the fourth scene she is rescued by Pārsvanatha in a forest while hunting, that the following scene depicts the wedding feast, the seventh scene the consummation of marriage and the eighth scene a march with elephants.
But there is no evidence to show that such traditions were prevailing in India during the period to inspire the poets and artists. In the Kalpa Sutra attributed to the th century A.D., the account of Parsva's marriage is not represented as the result of such romantic adventures. Moreover the Pärivänätha Charita differs in various details. from the story depicted by these relief sculptures. According to the former, the Yavana king invaded the town of Kusasthala and forcibly took away his beautiful princess. Prabhābati, who was rescued by Parśvanatha whom she later on married. But the sculptures mentioned above narrate the story of abduction in a different manner making the question of identification of the two accounts inappropriate.11
The two guard rooms in front of the lower main wing of Rāņi-Gumpha contain relief sculptures in their outer faces. The upper parts of both the outer walls represent hills with springs and trees laden with thick growth of leaves and mangoes, wild animals, some in natural rock shelters, birds, monkeys and other denizens of the forest. On their lower portions, are depicted lotus pools in which elephants are merrily sporting. Stella Kramrisch who had made critical study of the Udayagiri and Khandagiri sculptures is of the opinion that they represent the earliest renderings of an extensive "Landscape" scene in Indian art in the following words.
"This pattern effect of plastic forms, surging into light from the darkness of the back-ground is worked out in most intricate manner on the walls of projecting side cell.
10. M.M. Chakravarty, Bengal District Gazeteer, Puri, LSS 'O Malley (Ed.) 1908, p. 256,
11. N.K. Sahu, History of Orissa, Vol. I, pp. 367-68. 12. Qtd. B.M. Barua, Old Bramhi Inscriptions, p. 312.
