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The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art & Icons
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with an excellent female figure in front, standing sometimes on a dwarf. At the back the carving include either a narrative or a full blown lotus. Most of them are carved with upper register where a window (zarokhā) is displayed. These women introduced as sālabhañjikās in scriptures, wearing lavish jewellery viz. broad necklace, bead belt, bangles, anklets and designer clothes. One can see their vivid hair styles - a combed hair with high bun, binding the hair with a band keeping one lock floating on a shoulder etc. The dresses of the female include a mini or a maxi skirt or full dress - viz. one female figure obtained from Kaňkālī Tīlā wears long skirt having twelve different embroideries, with fine cut work, and a full sleeved blouse (fig. 8). The Concept of Śalabhañjikā: The Śālabhañjikā female figures are the finest creation of Indian art available in Jaina, Buddha and Hindu scriptures and shrines. These figures displayed on inner and outer side walls as well as on the ceilings of shrines serve the best specimen of Indian art. They first appeared on railing pillars at entrances and toraņas of stūpa. Such representation of females, full of zest for life where they are shown engaged in their favourite routine work, like going to adore deities with a basket of flowers and offerings (fig. 7), playing a ball (see the drawing), plucking the flowers from the tree (fig. 114), seeing herself in mirror (fig. 5), squeezing her hair after bath where droplets are swallowed by a swan sitting near her feet (fig. 6) etc. are the best product of Mathurā art.
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Definition: As per Sanskrit lexicon the meaning of Sālabhañjikā is 'a statue' or 'a putali’. The term Śālabhañjikā originally expressed a woman standing under a blossoming Sāla tree for plucking and gathering Sāla flowers (Votica Robusta, fig. 114). Thus 'Sāla' stands for a branch of the tree while 'bhanjikā' stands for her act of bending it. Dr. Coomarswami analysed the term Sālabhañjikās (from Bhārhut, Bodhagayā, Sāñci, Mathurā and Amaravati) and interpreted that female figures associated with trees are voluptuous beauties, almost nude, but always provided with the broad jewelled belt (mekhalā) which appears already on the pre Maurya terracotta figures of fertility goddesses. Sometimes these dryads stand on a vehicle such as a yakşa, elephant, crocodile, or fish-tailed elephant or horse.27 In some cases they are not displayed on animals but under the tree holding
27 Coomarswami A. K., Yaksas, parts I-II, Washington, 1928, 1931, pp.83.
