Jaina Monuments and Places First Class Importance

Author(s): T N Ramchandran
Publisher: Veer Shasan Sangh Calcutta

Page 49

PAINTING
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highest place or heaven (to use a common and popular term) is spoken ol as the siddhaloka, the occupants OL which are the siddhus or the liberated souls whom cven the 7 17 thun kuras worship prior to initiation (diksa). The Jaina ascetics of the place naturally required solitary places like the cave under discussion for the perforinance of their austerities and dhyana. The rocky nature of the country afforded tliem ample (avc-esorts, one of which was the one under discussion which was embellished with sculptures and paintings by a royal pation of rare artistic taste, who was probably drawn to the place either because of the sanctity of the place or because ol his fervour for the Jaina ieli. gion.
Of those paintings of the place that are intact careful copies have bcen made by Mr. M. S. S. Sarma of Madras, some of which have been figured by Mehta in his book on "Studies in Indian Painting". I have seen his copies in colour and was struck by their fidelity to the originals. They have been drawn to correct scale and have been properly toned.
The colours used are not many; those used are red, yellow, blue, green, black and white. While only one variety in each of black, green, blue and white pigments is found, red and yellow have two varieties each. Red has "red ochre" and "vermillion" and yellow "yellow ochre" and "bright golden".
The colour scheme is harmonious and siniple, the colours being well soaked into the surface and given a final polish with probably small prepared pebbles. It is natural, without any claborate attempt at light and shadle. The backgrounds are mostly red or green. The paintings are essentially linear. The linear draughtsmanship reveals a knowledge of anatomy and pcrspective far advanced.
# They "began and ended with outlines, and the boldness and firmness displayed in them are really marvellous", "every form being brought out firmly by its decided outline". It has been supposed that the first out