Jainism in India

Author(s): Ganesh Lalwani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

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JAINISM IN INDIA
highly sensitive and graceful form. Unfortunately its head has been struck off with some sharp weapon leaving traces of graceful locks of hair falling upon the shoulders. On two sides of the main figure shown in high relief there are two attendant figures and the nine grahas with Ganesa in miniature form distributed above the two attendants.
The explorations and survey of antiquarian remains in the districts of Purulia, Bankura and Midnapur have brought to light many sculptural representations of Tirthankaras with the various parśva-devatās and attending figures, a few caturmukha or caumukha miniature votive shrines, images of the śāsanadevis, sometimes associated with their respective male yakşa counterparts. It is a pity and a matter of regret that most of the sculptural pieces and architectural fragments associated with Jaina religious order are now lying in a neglected condition and jealously guarded and venerated by the unsophisticated villagers as cult divinities of the Brahmanical faith, sometimes identified by them with the image of the Buddha. The dilapidated shrines, but yet modest in appearance, noticed at such places like Deoli, Pakbira, Sanka and Senara in Purulia district or at Pareshnath, Ambikanagar, Kendua, Barkola, Harmashra and Bahulara in Bankura district and the at Rajpara in Midnapur district speak about the modest and sincere attempts made by the temple-builders of Bengal. The elegant brick temples, one at Bahulara in Bankura district not far away from Onda railway station and the other at Satdeulia near Memari railway station in Burdwan district, are perhaps the two earliest Jaina temples now standing within this state. With their lofty śikhara carved with ornamental bricks these temples present a pleasing appearance amidst the rural surroundings, and it can be surmised that there were many more of such Jaina temples located in the western part of Bengal, which were later on converted to Saiva and Sakta shrines or deserted altogether.
Situated in an interior village of Jhargram subdivision of Midnapur district at Rajpara two Jaina Tirthankaras were noticed which were lying in a neglected state of preservation and were being worshipped as the 'Buddha' and 'Ananta'. The much-abraded and weather-beaten representation of the Tirthankara Santinatha with his usual lañchana, antelope, and flanked by the cauri-bearers and aștagrahadevatās reveals a specimen which can be attributed to circa 10th century A.D. on stylic ground. This has since been collected for display in the State Archaeological Gallery, West Bengal. The other mutilated specimen which is still lying at the site personifies the Tirthankara Parsvanatha standing in kāyotsarga pose having a canopy of a seven-hooded serpent over
his head.