Jaina Monuments Of Orissa

Author(s): R P Mohapatra
Publisher: D K Publications

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Jaina Monuments of Orissa
number of monolithic miniature shrines most of them having at one of their faces the figure of a Tirthankara, are scattered. Like the votive stupas they were evidently dedicated by pious devotees near the main sanctum. They give a rough idea of the prevailing type of temples at this place.
The areas of Prachi valley in Puri district also contain Jaina relics inside several Brahmanical monuments. A small votive image of Rṣabhanatha carved out in black chlorite stone is found in the Visvamitra matha near Kakatpur. The image is not built with artistic care and appears to be the work of a raw hand. Though not a piece of art it is of considerable importance to us as a piece of temple offering and it reveals the truth and belief in Jainism of sections of people in the Prachi valley.
A slab containing the seated figures of Yakta Gomedha and Yakşisi Ambika has been brought to the notice at a place called Lataharana in the Prachi valley. Both the figures are seated in lalitäsana pose on respective lotus pedestals below which a series of seven devotees also depicted in lalitasana. The figure of Ambika displays a bunch of mangoes in right hand and the left holds a baby. Similarly the image of Gomedha carry another bunch of mangoes in his right hand and rests the left on the thigh. They wore simple loin cloths in the same style and bear on them same types of ornaments, the only exception being in the conical head dress of the Yaksa and the round hair knot of his consort. The mango tree is depicted in the background. From the trunk of the tree a baby is found swinging in between the Yaksa and Yaktigt. At the top, (above their heads) Tirthankara Neminatha is found seated in Yogasana on a lotus pedestal. On both sides of the Tirthankara, the chauri bearers are also depicted with artistic care. The image on the whole reveals a success of the Jaina sculptors who have been able to combine here the decorative beauty with plastic quality. Prof. G.S. Das' terms this pair as Yakta Kuşmanda and Yakṣiņi Kusmandini. The entire slab including the pedestal measures 0.47m* 0.23m.
An exact prototype of this image has been found at the Antarvedi Matha, but this one has no great artistic merit and being of small size (18cm x 10cm) it was probably intended for a votive offering by some Jaina devotee.
A similar type of Jaina Tirthankara image as found in Visvamitra Asrama referred to above, is also lying near the Bharadvaja Arama of the Prachi valley, 10
A Ṛsabhanatha image (Fig. 53) carved seated in Yogasana pose on a lotus pedestal is preserved in the porch of the Gramesvar Siva temple of village Nibharana, some six k.m. on the canal road from Kakatpur. The local people worship this image as Kandarpa. The Prachi Valley report on the other hand wrongly identified this image as Parsvanatha. The pedestal of the image is supported by two spirited lions on the corners. Bull, his conventional lañchana, is lying below the lotus pedestal. Hair
9. G.S. Das, Prachi Valley report, Chapter III. 10. P.K. Ray, Prachi Valley Report, (Ed.) p. 56. 11. Ibid., p. 35.