Jainism in Bihar

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

Page 93

CHAPTER IX JAIN ANTIQUITIES IN GAYA The district of Gaya in Patna Division is also closely associated with Jainism. Gaya district adjoins Patna district with Rajgriba, Nalanda, Pawapuri and Pataliputra which have important Jain relics. Even at Buddha Gaya where Gautama became the Buddha and founded the Buddhist creed we have seen a Jain shrine. The Jain relics in Gaya district are scattered.
The Brabma-Yoni hill to the south of Gaya town has a small figure with a horse on the pedestal, which General Cunningham believed to be most probably a statue of Sambbavanath the third Tirthankar. Horse is the Chinha of the Tirtbankar Sambhavanath.
The Barabar hills about 19 miles by road to the north of Gaya, has a series of delicately excavated caves. The caves are usually associated with the Ajivikas, who were taken to be closely associated with the Jains. The members of the Ajivika sect went about nude and were noted for the ascetic practices of the most rigorous kind.
The Barabar hills and the caves therein are commonly held to be Buddhistic. It bas been observed before that from architecture point of view there cannot be one Buddhist school and another Jain school. The conception and the development of the architecture of the Buddbist and Jain stupas, chaityas, shrines, sculpture and painting moved on the same set of lines. Thereforo, since it is established that the Ajivikas lived in the Barabar Hills, it cannot be denied that the caves and other relics of the Barabar Hills commonly