Jainism in India

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

Page 48

JAINISM IN THE MADHYA PRADESHA
A look at the archaeology of the Madhya Pradesha will indicate that though it is not very much worn in time, we have enough historical materials' regarding Jainism that are representative of the Kalacuri and Candela times. Any material from the earlier period is slant and appears to have been devoured by time or raged to the grounds. In the Udayagiri caves at Vidisa, there was an image of the twentythird Tirthankara Parsvanatha with a serpent hood spread over his head; but now the image has disappeared leaving only the hood. But there are ample indications to suggest that much of the material of the Maurya and the Gupta periods is either buried several layers beneath the ground or is just reduced into debris and has not yet received due attention.
Centres of archaeological interest from the Jaina point of view in Madhya Pradesha are Khajuraho, Mahoba, Devgarh, Ahar, Madanpur, Banpur, Jatara, Raipur, Jubbalpur, Satna, Nawagarh, Gwalior, Vilsa, Bhojpur, Mau, Dhara Badwani and Ujjain.
Khajuraho—The place is named Kharjurapura because of the abundance of the date trees in the region. It was a centre of developed Candela art. During the reign of the Candela and the Kalacuri kings, the influence of Jainism was widespread all over Bundelkhand and at that time hundreds of images must have been carved out and hundreds of temples constructed,
Currently, beside Hindu temples, there are three Jaina temples in this région. Of these the first temple is called Ghantai temple which is located to the south-east of Khajuraho village. It is so called because of the impressive array of bells carved on its columns.
Within the same locality and to the south and north-east of Ghantai temple is a sacred temple dedicated to Adinatha, though the image of the first Lord is no longer there and its whereabout too is not known. The third temple which is the biggest is dedicated now to Parsvanatha,