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ART OF THE JAINS 93
(21) Adinath or Naminath-yellow colour, sign, a blue lotus. (22) Neminath or Arishtenemi-dark colour with red shade, sign, a shell.
LITERATURE AND
(23) Parshva-blue colour, sign, a serpent.
(24) Mahavira or Vardhamana-golden colour, sign, a lion."
It is difficult to explain the symbolism of these colours and signs at the present level of study of Jainism. The suggestion that there is a connection between these signs and totemic representations of pre-Aryan peoples of India (these representations are preserved by many peoples even to this day) appears most probable. Devatas-various Hindu gods are usually portrayed round the statues of Tirthankars, and also on their pedestals. Such statues are placed in the cave-temples and ground-temples in niches. Very big statues of Siddhas to whom people come to worship are placed on open grounds, as has already been mentioned. There is a siddachakra-the holy wheel-in every temple of Shvetambaras. This is a seven-edged plate, on which holy words are inscribed and five figures of Parameshthians i.e. people in the five stages of salvation are portrayed. Often the engraving on these plates reaches artistic perfection.
Jain holies were also portrayed in bronze, in the form of small statuettes, or big figures. But this branch of the art was not as strongly developed as, for example, the bronze sculpture of the Hindus or Buddhists. The portraits of Tirthankars are made from various material-gold, silver, and precious stones.
Jain paintings had remarkably developed. As is common with all Indian painting, it starts with frescoes. The frescoes in Jain temples in Sittanavasala near Tanjore (Madras) dated seventh century A.D. are much more famous than other Jain frescoes of the early medieval period.
Here, the rocky surface was at first covered with a 0.5-1 cm. layer of pounded stones, clay, cowdung and rice husks, as is the case with all the wall-paintings in India. Later, a thin layer of white gypsum was superimposed and the painting was done on the moist surface of this white gypsum.
A big picture on the ceiling of the temple in Sittanavasala
17. The list is taken from the books-F. Buchanan, Particulars of the Jains; P. Thomas, Epics, Myths, and Legends of India.
