Jainism in Rajasthan

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IV JAINA ART
Besides, sometimes, too much of modernity also disfigures the latest Jaina temples. Then, there is also the crude colour washing and painting. Such temples are found in a large number in the important cities of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Kotah, Bikaner, Udaipur and Jodhpur.
2. JAINA ICONOGRAPHY It is somehow difficult to determine the time when the Jainas started the practice of the worship of images. Even in the Indus Valley civilization, some images supposed to be Jaina have been discovered. But we are on the sure ground about the worship of images among the Jainas from the Nanda period onwards. The Hāthīgumphā inscription of King Khāravela records that he took back from Pāțaliputra the Jaina idol which was carried off by one of the Nanda kings from Kalinga.1 There are two nude mutilated statues without symbols in the Patna museum. One of them posseses the polish of Mauryan age and may be attributed to the third century B.C. and the other on stylistic grounds to the second century BC.2 After that, image worship grew more and more popular and elaborate.
GENERAL CHARECTERISTICS OF JAINA IMAGES: The image of Jina must be skilfully prepared so that it may satisfy the artistic thirst of the devotee and should enable to imagine the infinite through a visible form. According to the traditional and sāstric convention, the distinguishing features of a Jina figure are its long hanging arms, the frīvatsa symbol, the mild form, youthful body and nudity. The other peculiarities of the Jaina iconography are serenity, dignity, calm, rhythm, proportion and restraint. Generally, all the images except the very early ones have a lāñchhana or symbol which differentiates them from each other.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KUSHĀŅA AND GUPTA JAINA IMAGES: The Jaina images of the Kushāņa and Gupta periods have been discovered at Mathura. The distinctive symbols are not found on the images of the Kushāņa period. But in the case of the images of Pārsva, a snake canopy behind the head of the figure is noticed. This enables us to identify the Jina without any difficulty. But with regard to the other Jinas, we are in darkness unless the inscriptions help us. The Kalpasūtra gives a list of all the 1. JBORS., III, p. 458.
2. Ibid , Yr 1937, pp. 130-132
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