________________
Jinamañjari, Volume 22, No.2, October 2000
JAINA ARCHITECTURE AND ICONOGRAPHY
IN ĀNDHRA
Dr. N.S. Ramachandra Murthy,
Dept of Archaeology,
Hydrabad, India
Eminent historian Professor Jyoti Prasad Jain has rightly observed that "pieces of Jaina art and architecture belonging to different types and ages are scattered all over [India], but the places of Jaina pilgrimages are in particular veritable store-houses... [their] templearchitecture while adopted the styles prevalent in the places and times and when they built their temples, [they] introduced certain characteristic features in keeping with their own culture and ideology, which tended to make it almost a distinct Jaina art.” In fact the Jaina art and architecture, most of the times reflect their ethical concepts. They not only aim at elevating human spirit but also inspire religious values in terms of philosophical concepts and rules of conduct to understand the power of human living.?
Andhra in southern India was no exception. Jainism had enjoyed favour in Andhra, and its prevalence and popularity may be seen through an examination of the various antiquarian remains and sites that exist in both the Rāyalaśima and Telangana regions. Interestingly, the Jaina art of these regions has been depicted as a means of attaining divinity through its principal objective of viewing the "perfection of man or transformation of the individual mundane soul into the a state of paramātman.3 That is, the spiritually inclined emotional, sublime and uplifting nature of the faith is reflected in its art -- an art that is marked by a sober, sublime and inspiring feeling of self abnegation, peace and equanimity.4
Though many of the sculptures of the Jinas or Tirthankaras in this region are numerous, artistically they tend to suffer from a form of visual monotony. Despite the fact that these icons offer little scope
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
