Jaina Shrines In India

Author(s): O P Tandon
Publisher: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Vovernment of India

Page 17

II. Extent and Expansion
THE biographical, geographical records, the textual references and the architectural remain provide a fairly good idea of the extent of Jaina religion. Exceptions apart, it hardly crossed the frontiers of the country as the non-existent vestiges of Jaina art outside India indicate. But the mainland was certainly swept by them completely. From the accounts of places visited by Mahavira during the long span of thirty years of his missionary wanderings when he moved with a dynamic force and spread the gospel of Jainism, it is evident that he visited Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. According to some traditions, Mahavira visited even more distant places, including Orissa and South India.
The more important of the places recor- ded, as visited by Mahavira during his missionary coverage of the country, are as indicated below.
Bihar : Rajgir, Monghyr, Champa (Bhagalpur), Lohardaga in Ranchi district, Malaya, Mithila, Nalanda, Vaishali (Basarh), Dalbhum (Singhbhum) ;
Uttar Pradesh : Prayaga, Kaushambi (near Allahabad). Sravasti (Gonda-Bahraich district), Varanasi, Sumsumarapur (near Chunar, Mirzapur district);
Bengal : Radha (West Bengal), Siddhanagar (Birbhum district), Suhama (South West Bengal), Purulia ; and
Orissa : Tosali (Dhauli, Puri district).
There are references to many other places which are associated with Mahavira but it has not been possible to locate them. This is as far as the contemporary times go. But in the centuries following Mahavira, Jainism continued to spread out as many historical
personages either took to the teachings of Mahāvira or the people's catholicity helped the growth of this religion also along with Brahmanism and Buddhism.
According to the tradition, both Bimbisara and Ajatsatru were devotees of Mahavira. Ajatsatru's successor, Udayi is said to have built a Jaina temple at Pataliputra (Patna). The succeeding kings of the Nanda dynasty also patronised Jainism. A little later in about first century B.C., King Kharvela of Cheta dynasty ruling in Kalinga (Orissa) brought back to his kingdom the Tina image that had been taken away by one of the Nanda kings to Magadha (Bihar). This fact is mentioned in the inscription of Kharvela and is, therefore, reliable. It does establish that Jainism had spread in Orissa by the time of the Nandas.
Some of the Mauryan Kings, who succeeded the Nandas also extended their patronage to Jainism. One of the most famous emperors of the Mauryan dynasty, Chandragupta is ascribed with strong leaning towards this religion. He is credited to have accompanied Bhadrabahu, a well-known Jaina savant to South India during a famine and is further said to have died by practising a fast. There are also references to the presence of Sramanas (ascetics) in the court of Chandragupta in the accounts left by Megasthenes. Some of these evidences, even though later, do suggest that Jainism had spread to South India as early as fourth century B.C. Although there is hardly any mention of Ashoka, the great Mauryan emperor, in the Jaina chronicles, there are eloquent references about Kunala, son of Ashoka. It is further mentioned that Samprati, son of Kunala, contributed greatly to
peror, in the Jaina chroni Mauryan em
contemporary times go. But