Mahavira Jain Vidyalay Suvarna Mahotsav Granth Part 1

Author(s): Mahavir Jain Vidyalaya Mumbai
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 888

NEW DOCUMENTS OF JAINA PAINTINGS : 389
Folio 107 B : Border dercorations of the Kalpa-sūtra.
The illustrations of the borders include women riding on elephants, a beautiful tree and female dancers in various postures, all depicted on blue and red background. The text of the folio is written in gold on monochrome red background while the miniature on the left side is a beautiful painting of richly decorated elephant on which are seated queen Marudeva with attendants, while approaching the Jina Rşabhanātha (not shown) for worship. The richly decorated costume of the riders includes a ham saduküla lower garment. Figures of riders in the miniature are painted white upon red background. Size : 7x 11 cm. approx.
GROUP III Meghaduta dated V. S. 1726 (= 1669 A. D.), painted at Asani-Kotta, from the collections of the L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad No (4083) Size of the manuscript : 25.2 x 11 cm.
Total Folios : 8 Colophon: eft 11 TETRA Tanagrada HruZAGATI Fazifauti ft आसणीकोट्टमध्ये। श्रीमत् खरतरगच्छे भट्टारक श्रीमच्छीजिनचंद्रसूरिविजयराज्ये। वाचनाचार्यवर्य-श्री हीरराजगणिपदपंकजसेवाचंचरीक सश्रीक पं० उदयहर्षसाधुभिलिखितं ॥ छ || शिष्य चिरंमति विमलमुनि 95711211
The colophon says that in the year 1726 of the Vikrama (= 1669 A. D.), the manuscript was copied by one Pandit Udayaharșa sādhu of Kharataragaccha, pupil of Sri Hirarājagani, when Sri Jinachandrasuri was the head of the gaccha. The manuscript was copied at Sri Asani-koțţa36. It is Asani near Jaunpur in U. P. mentioned in the Imperial Gazetteer. Since we know that one of the best illustrated manuscripts of Kalpa-sūtra dated 1465 A. D. in Hamsavijaya collection was painted at Jaunpur, it is likely that Asani near Jaunpur maintained an art tradition. Since there is a ruined fort at Asani, this identification seems to be more probable.
It is significant to note that dated and placed documents from the Uttara Pradesh are now available which support the view that Uttara Pradesh even before the advent of the Mughals was a centre of painting. The present document is an important addition to our knowledge of the
36 Asani-kotta may be Asani, about ten miles north of Fatehpur city
in U. P. An inscription of the Gurjara-Pratihara Mahipāla, dated in V. S. 974 was discovered here (The Dynastic History of Northern India, by H. C. Ray, Calcutta, 1931, p. 543, footnote 4).