________________
which Dr. Block supposed to be serpent deities worshipped on the surrounding hills".
From Maniyar Math have also been found broken jars and other pieces of earthen-ware with imprints of snake. There could be no doubt that the relics are Jain in character.
There is a very ancient image of Sri Parsvanatha in a cave on the Udaigiri hill at Rajagriba. Regarding this image Mr. Sarabbai N. Nawab ip his “Jain Tirthas in India and Their Architecture” remarks :
"Its placid facial expression, the expanded serpentine hoods behind it, its lotus seat and the wonderful and artistically arranged coils of the snake below the lotus seat create admiration in the minds of the visitors for the forceful inspiration of the master artists of those days. Very rare are such sculptures saved from the devastation of time. Both the images are without lanchhanas or emblems.”
This image is a very fine specimen of art. There are seven snakes with their hoods spread at the back of the head of the image. The eyes, ears, nose and the lips are very finely executed. The bend of the hands joined together and at ease on the feet padmasana and the finely chiselled body are remarkable specimens of ancient sculpture.
Regarding the Jain temples at Rajgir the following description is quoted from the District Gazetteer of Patna (1924) :-"At present Rajgir is a tirtha or sacred place of the Jains, who come there in great numbers from different parts of India to visit the shrines on the tops of the five hills ; on Baibhar Hill alone there are five Jain temples besides the ruins of an old Saiva shrine. The temples are all of recent date and generally contain a stone with the footprints of some Jain Tirthankar. Older shrines of the middle ages, with numerous Jain images, are also found but they are no longer used for worship. Rajgir is also a place of pilgrimage among Hindus of all classes. This sanctity is due to the numerous hot springs hero, which are
94
