Jaina Stupa At Mathura Art And Icons

Author(s): Renuka J Porwal
Publisher: Prachya Vidyapith

Page 36

The Place of Mathurā in Jainism
1018 A.D. The above images, established in 981 A.D., 1023 A.D. and 1068 A.D. respectively, show that Jaina Sangha adoring the stūpa and the shrines before and after the stūpa was attacked by Gazni. Many inscribed images of both traditions of the medieval period were also available in and around Mathurā after the chief excavations in the 19th century at Kankālī Tīlā. This reveals the flourishing Jaina culture in Mathurā region. Most of these images are covered in the recently published 'Catalogue of Jaina Antiquities of Mathurā' by Government Museum, Mathurā, in 2003. Some of them are described below: i) An Ādinātha image (B.21, MM) with Nagari inscription ‘Om Pandīta
Sri Ganavaradevaya'. Such words are also available on the paintings
in Ellora caves36. ii) A Pārsvanātha image (accn. No.40.2874/2 MM) with Nāgarī inscription
of the year Vikram Samvat 1017, 'Śrīmūla sangha; Śrāvaka vanika
jasarāka bhārya somā...' found from Mathurā. iii) Saṁvat 1104 Śrī Bhadreśvarācārya Gaccha Mahilā. (Neminatha B.22,
MM) iv) Śrī parašanāthāya; 11 Lalikamra.. Yaḥ 1.. v) A very archaic image of Kșetrapāla with a Jina on his head found
in 1960. Size 13 inches, (60.4843 MM., fig. 23) As noted by Dr. Sharma about Fuher's area excavation at the Kankālī mound from 1888 to 1891 was a great archaeological mission, revealing numerous Jaina sculptures which were removed en bloc to the Lucknow Museum. This large collection, ranging from the 2nd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. proves the existence of at least two Jaina stūpas at site of Kankālī Tīlā37.
1.10 Jaina Stūpa at Mathurā:
In the Anga literature of Jainism, the word 'stūpa' is not mentioned independently. Instead it comes in such combination as - "caityastūpa’ (“Caiya-thūbha'), ‘stūpa-maha' (“Thūbha-maha') and 'Thūbhamva-caiyakadam’38. In Sthānānga-sūtra, the 'Caiyathubha' is mentioned
36 Dhavalikar, “Wall Paintings at Ellora: Rock cut Caves at Ellora". Paper presented at a
seminar for the Asiatic Society, Mumbai Uni. Mumbai, March 3-5, 2012. 37 Sharma R. C., The Splendour of Mathura, 1993, pp. 34 38 See the fn. 14 in chapter of this book "The Tradition of Stūpa in Jainism