Jainism in Bihar

Author(s): P C Roy Choudhary
Publisher: P C Roy Choudhary Patna

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especiality, erected stupas surrounded by stone railings which are indistinguishable from those of the Buddhists, and honoured the bones of their saints in exactly the same way as did their rivals. The prejudice that all stupas and stone railings must necessarily be Buddhist has probably prevented the recognition of Jain structures as such, and up to the present only two undoubted Jain stupas have been recorded.”
“In addition to the stone railings and decorated gateways, stupas, whether Jain or Buddhist, were adorned with numerous other accessories, including stone umbrellas, elaborately carved pillars and pilasters, and abundant statuary, usually in in the form of reliefs, but occasionally detached. No existing stupa is in a sufficiently perfect condition to display these accessories in position, but the reliefs supply numerous pictures of stupas in all their glory. The permanent architectural and sculptured decoration was supplemented by huge tinsel garlands suspended from pegs fastened in the masonry and by lamps inserted in little niches and distributed over the surface of the monument. The Chinese pilgrim, Huien Tsiang, mentions two stupas ascribed by tradition to Asoka which were each 300 ft. high. One of these was faced with stone curiously carved, the other was of brick. Many others are described which stood from 100 to 200 ft. in height. Monuments of this magnitude, when decorated with the lavish ornament dear to the heart of the Indian architect, must have presented a spectacle of extraordinary magnificence."
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