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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
painted by Govinda at Matar in 1583 is a hallmark of the style in the history of manuscript painting. The illuminated wooden book-cover of a palm leaf manuscirpt of the 12th century is one of the gems of this collection. This unrivalled example shows on its inner side eight of the sixteen vidyadevis, the Jain goddesses of learning, along with its patron donor. The collection has about a dozen such rare manuscript book covers. Among the scores of cloth paintings, the Pañchtirthi pata dated 1433 is the oldest extant example. According to its colophon it was painted at Champaner. Interestingly, a part of this long scroll is in another museum in Ahmedabad. Cosmological diagrammes representing the morphology of the cosmos were famous among Jains for its didactic use and so were the game of wisdom, Jñanabāzi diagrammes, popularly known as snake and ladder. The muscum has a good collection of such paintings. The Eight Continents Astadvipa pata, formerly from the Kasturbhai Collection, Ahmedabad, is one such rare and unrivalled example. Also on display are the Jain mystic diagrammes of rare conception.
The miniatures on display include a cross-section of Rajasthani paintings represented by Malwa, Mewar, Marwar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Sirohi, Aurangabad and Paithani paintings. The artists retrenched from the royal workshops of the Mughals painted the Naladamayanti Rāsa paintings of this collection. One such artist also painted the famous illustrated letter of invitation from Agra. His name was Ustad Salivahan. Jains usually sent such invitation letters in the form of long scrolls to their spiritual preceptors, inviting them to their place to spend the rainy season, when they give up a wanderers' life. The Jain community of Agra sent this letter in 1610 to Acharya Vijayasenasuri who was then resident at Patan in Gujarat. The scroll is a historical document. It commemorates and documents the famous event of granting royal order, firman, to observe non-killing during the Jain festival of Paryusana in his empire, in the hall of audience (divanc-am) in Agra fort. The two foreigners, who had just arrived in Agra, Jesuit priest Francisco Corsi and physician William Howkins, are seen on the scroll. They are also seen on several other royal paintings of Jehangir's time.
This gallery also highlights woodcarving for which Gujarat was justly famous. The 17th century examples of the narrative panels, from a Jain temple, relate the life scenes of the marriage of Neminath, the 22nd tirthankar.
P.T.Munshaw Coin Collection, Ahmedabad, comprises of coins representing the whole history of Indian numismatics. The punch-marked Bentbar from Gandhar, the Larin of Adilshah, Zodiac series of Jehangir to Zalali and Din-e-elahi coin of Akbar find their place in the numismatic section of the gallery.
પથિક૰ દીપોત્સવાંક - ઓક્ટો.-નવે.-ડિસે., ૨૦૦૧ - ૨૮
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