Jinamanjari 2000 09 No 22

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 49

Jinamañjari, Volume 22, No.2, October 2000
SOCIO RELIGIOUS ASPECTS OF RELIEVOS ON THE MANASTAMBHA AT HUMCHA
Dr. Vasanta Kumari, Maharani's College, Mysore, India
The political ascendancy of Jain religion during the reigns of the Kadambas, the Calukyas, the Gangas and the Rashtrakutas from 4th to 10th century was a great time for the Jainas who had a big share in the development of socio-religious and cultural life. This period of progress and prosperity continued even at the time of Jaina kings of Santara dynasty with its capital Humcha, an historic and ancient town in Karnataka in southern India.
The
Establishment of Historic Humcha ancient names of Pomburcha, Hombucha with morphological and phonetic changes, have become Humcha in the current usage. It is situated 60 km northeast of Shimoga in northwest part of Karnataka. According to the records from the place, Humcha was founded by Jinadatta, son of king Sakara and queen Sriyala of Northern Mathura, great devotees of goddess Padmavati, the yaksi of Pārsva. From about twenty Santara inscriptions, it is known that Jinadatta, founder of the dynasty, belonged to Ugravamsa which can be traced back to the genealogy of Tirthankara Pārśva in Ninth B.C.E. In fact Sagara ins.159,1159 suggests that Santara genealogy originated from Ugravamsa of Parsva.
The legend and the literature have it that Prince Jinadatta of Northern Mathura was put to peril at the age of sixteen when his stepmother plots to kill him in order to sworn her own son Maridatta to the throne. Coming to know the peril Jinadatta was in, his mother Sriyala sends him away to her parental place, Southern Mathurā.
Travelling half way, Prince Jinadatta makes a stopover in the
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