Jaina Shrines In India

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

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Jaina Shrines in India
At Chausa, a hoard of eighteen Jaina appears that the Jaina sramanas who lived bronzes was discovered. It is possible that there must have undergone rigorous discimany early Jaina monuments are still lying plinc although these abnegating monks had unnoticed or uncared for in this area. to give way to later initiates in the discipline These images belong to a period from pre- who decorated the ceiling of the verandahs Kushan to Gupta age. From the general with elaborate carvings and sculptures. lakshanas of the locks of hair and serpent There are two types of caves : (a) plain hoods, Rishabhanātha and Parsvanatha may
y caves, i.e., without pillared verandah and clearly be identified from amongst these
amongst these (b) pillared caves. It is difficult to ascertain images.
the chronology of the construction of the Jainism does not appear to have been caves only on simple architectural pretenpopular in West Bengal. The story in sions. The interior apsidal structure of Acharanga Sutta of Mahavira's inhospitable the Udayagiri monument recalls its analogue treatment in Vajrabhumi and Suhmabhumi to the Chaityagrihas at Barabar hills and in Radha confirms this. The Divyavadana, Kondivte in Maharashtra. The Jaina however, traces the efflorescence of Jaina Chaityagrihas are similar to the Buddhist and Ajivika sects in north Bengal (Pundra- ones with their apse, side-aisles and nave. vardhana) in the time of Ashoka. The
It may be recalled that the decorative popularity of Jaina sects in Bengal is further
patterns of Bharhut and Sanchi monuments proved by the mention of a Jina monk in a
are also present in the Jaina structures, for Mathura inscription with the epithet
example, motifs like the merlin, the honeyRaraka, who hailed from West Bengal
suckle and winged animal figures appear Jaina monuments of early periods are copiously in these monuments. conspicuously absent in Bengal inspite of
The situation regarding the sway of the discovery of a copper plate grant of
Jaina cults in East India seems to have the year 159, Gupta Samrat mentioning the
much improved in the early medieval period. worship of Arhats by a Brahmana couple
During ninth to eleventh centuries Jaina at Vata-Gohali which was under a Nir
art shows traces of opulence side by side grantha Sramanacharya.
with the Buddhist and Brahmanical art The passage of time has spared more courses. Dinajpur appears to have been a Jaina monuments in Orissa which has been centre of Jaina activity from where a a stronghold of Jaina faith for a considerable prominent image of Rishabhanātha in the time from the fourth century B.C. The sitting posture was discovered. Jaina first eminent shrine appears to have been in images have been found in large numbers the Hathigumpha cave of the Udayagiri hill from the northern part of East Bengal. A near Bhubaneshwar. The cave confirms Yakshi of Neminātha supposedly represented the famous Kharavela inscription. The in the figure of Ambika was discovered in Udayagiri and Khandagiri hills were Jaina bronze at Nalgora (24 parganas). The resorts in the close proximity of Kalinga. The popularity of Jaina religion in the eleventh caves may be assigned to the early centuries century is attested by a Kayotsarga figure of the pre-christian era. In later periods, of Jina Parsvanátha, accompanied by twentythese caves grew into shrines with additions three miniature images of Jinas, which were of reliefs of Tirthankaras. From the all found in association at Kantabeniya. appearance of the dimensions of the Rani- Jaina figures of rare artistic quality have gumpha cave of the Udayagiri hills, it been discovered in Burdwan from Sat