Jaina Shrines In India

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

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IV. West India
THE earliest traces of Jaina art which Bahubali, the son of Rshabhanåtha, at followed in the wake of the itineraries of Taxila is only a traditional belief. The the Tirthankaras, are found mentioned in Sirkap stūpa is also polemical. an early text of the 4th-5th century A.D., Traditions which refer to the Jaina known as the Vasudeva-hindi. It tells of a councils' meeting simultaneously at Mathura Jivanta-svamin image of Mahavira at Ujjain. and at Valabhi, postulate evidences of This finds mention also in the Brihatkalpa- Jaina establishments in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bhashya (C. 6th century A.D.). Worship of Valabhi, Broach and Sopara. The absence Maháyira and the ratha-yatra festival of of Jaina antiquities belonging to the third his at the time which is attested by the
and fourth centuries, does not rule out the Avasyakachurni of Jinadasa. A contro- existence of Jaina sanctuaries altogether versial portrait sculpture of Mahāyira made
as several Jaina images belonging to the of sandalwood is said to have been worship- above dates have been discovered. H.D. ped by a queen of king Udayana of Kau
Sankalia has found unmistakable traces sambi. An old bronze of Parśvanātha which of Taina rock-cut reliefs at Dhank, which is preserved in the Prince of Wales Museum, date from early fourth century A.D. But the Bombay, signifies its discovery from some Jina figures are more rightly assigned to the findspot whose record is missing. It bears sixth or seventh centuries A.D. A large resemblance to a Jina image from Lohani- hoard of bronze that has been found at pur, preserved in the Patna Museum Akola, specifies Jaina figures of substantial
The earliest known architecture in this value. But the real architectural excellence region undoubtedly lay in the rock-caverns was achieved at a succeeding period. in west India's hill promontories. At Juna- Jaina temples appeared at Akola, Valabhi, gadh near Girnar, there is a group of about Vasantagarh and Bhinamal during the sixthtwenty rock cells which were first noticed seventh centuries. This is inferred from by Burgess. The numerous carvings and the finds of Jaina images of the Tirthankaras symbols such as the svastika, srivatsa, which were meant only for worship on a chadrasana and minayugala as found on the large scale. We find references to temples Mathura ayagapatas, appertain the pene- which are now no longer in existence. For tration of Jaina spirit in these parts. Al- example, Vanaraja Chapotkata is stated to though, the symbols in themselves do not have founded the Vanaraja Vihara of Jina establish the Jaina character of these rock- Päisvanatha at Anhilwada, where his miniscut cells, it is possible to relate them to the ter Ninnaya also built a temple in honour Jaina inscription in the absence of definite of Rshabhanātha in about 746 A.D. Ninnaya Buddhist symbols.
founded temples at Chandravati and Tharad Marshall drew attention to a Taina stupa in north-west Gujarat at the instance of at Sirkap (Taxila). This is an excep- Vatesvara-suri. tional occurence of a Jaina establishment During the eighth century, both sects in the distant north-west part of India. of the Jainas erected their temples at The mention of a dharma-chakra set up by Prabhasa. The Digambaras founded a