________________
16
Bihar province, 10 A nude standing Suparsvanath image with serpent hoods is unearthed from a place near Seoni (M.P.). The photo of the image and its beautiful temple appeared on 2nd cover of Ahinsa Bani, Oct., 1963. A very attractive image of Suparsvanath is unearthed from Kongli district Berrely with 5 hood serpent and is preserved in Govt. Museum, at Madras," Similar images are found from village Mohmadi in district Kheri of U.P. which is in provincial museum Lucknow. One such is in Kashi Bharat Kala Bhawan Museum, Varanasi, with Museum No. 255.
An eminent scholar S. Padmanabhan of Negercoil indicates that his city Negercoil has derived its name from the five hooded serpents diety of Nagraja (king of serpents Suparsvanatha) Temple13 whose Mandapa Pillars bear carved figures of Jain Tirthankaras,14 whose diety is wonderful in fulfilling one's wishes and curing even deadly diseases 15 The King of Kaling (S.I.) who was stricken with leprosy, hearing miraculous fame of the image, came to the temple and did penance before it with the result that he was fully cured1 and in gratitude built its present beautiful temple.17 Is it not another wonder of the five hooded serpents miraculous diety that even though there are plenty of coberas in side the temple, no case of snake bite has ever occurred within a mile of the temple,18
Mugal Emperor, Akbar the great to distroy the evil effect of his son. Shekho's daughter go, read Ashtauttar Path of Suparsva Nath and presented to the Lord Suparsva Nath temple one lakh rupees according to "Shureshvara and Mughal Smrat Akbar', page 154. Prof. Dr. Jayanti Pd. in this historical work, mentions that in the auspicious sacred ceremony of gold-kalash of Suparsva Nath performed by general Kram Chand Akbar the Great participated and rubbed Bath-Water of Suparsva Nath, with his fore head with great respect and honour and sent the Bath water for his queens in his royal palace where his queens also. rubbed the water with their fore heads with full faith. Akbar offered 1000 gold coins to Suparsva-image, 18
The royal emblem of Suparsvanath is Svastika. Almost all his images bear at their pedestals. Such image is found at Chandergiri, Shrvanbelgola,
10. Amrit Bazar Patrika, Special Puja Number 1956.
11. Religion of Tirthankaras, plate 16 fig. 35.
66.
12. Ram Chandran, Director Arch. Govt. of India, Monuments of India P. 13. S. Padmanabhan, Nagraja Temple, p. 5.
14. S. Padmanabhan, "In and around Kanya Kumari, p. 3.
15. Nagraja Temple, p. 6.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Dr. James Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethic, Vol. XI p. 418. 18a. Bhartiya Itihas-Ek Drshti-page 488.
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