________________
Development of Jaina Art in Madhya Pradesh
BY K. D. Bajpai
Geographically the present region of Madhya Pradesh occupies the central position in the country. The recent excavations and explorations in some parts of the Chambal and Narmada valleys have thrown welcome light on the protohistoric Chalcolithic culture of central India. The work conducted by the Sagar University in the districts of Raisen, Sehore and Sagar has brought to light a number of interesting painted rock-shelters, implements and other relics, which may be called the vestiges of the ancient Sabara-Nisada cultures of the Vindhya region.
As regards Jainism, the early evidence of its spread in the Madhya Pradesh region is lacking. The Jaina tradition mentions the ancient city of Vidisha, where the image of Tirthankara Mahavira in the form of Jiantaswami was worshipped. It is said that this image was brought by king Pradyota of Avanti from Roruka (in Sindhu-Sauvira kingdom). Ratha yatra processions were held in honour of the image at Vidisha, as is known from the works like Avas yaka Curni and the Vasudeva Hindi.
Another city claiming association with Jainism was Ujjayini. The Kalakacar ya Kathanaka and other traditional accounts may be mentioned in this connection,
But in so far as the early art-relics are concerned, the Jaina pantheon did not make a mark in central India as did Buddhism. The well-known centres of the Buddhist art, Bharhut and Sanchi, flourished during the Sunga-Satavahana period. The rich and colourful art of these two sites occupies a significant place in our art-history.
Vidisha became a centre of Yaksa worship in the Sunga-Sata-vahana period. Several Yaksa and Yaksi images, so far discovered at Vidisha, are remarkable both from the aesthetic and iconographic points of view. The colossal Yaksa and Yaksi statues salvaged from the Betava river a few years back (now deposited in the Vidisha Museum) are very remarkable. The Naga cult also had its growth at Vidisha, although its development here was subsequent to that of the Yaksa
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
