Science and Art of Calligraphy and Painting

Author(s): S Andhare
Publisher: Indian National Science Academy

Page 52

27 Raw materials used for different types of paper were bamoo, jute, flax, rags etc. Kashmiri paper was manufactured from the waste cocoons and was therefore soft and strong. Best quality "Kalpi' paper was made from discarded fishing nets and was known as 'Mahajal'. This was very white in colour. Ahmedabadi paper was made from rags at the Sabarmati Ashram. Another type of Ahmedabadi paper which was used for making account books was very smooth for writing.
Cloth : कापड
Both, the Jain or the non-Jain literature is full of references to cloth painting in the early period. They are known as patas or patachitras, intended to illustrate socio-religious themes for the monks as well as the masses.
Padalipta, (ca, 2nd century A.D.) in his history of Tarangavati' mentionsof a nayika who is said to have used a chitrapata. Similarly, Silanka Suri (ca 9th century A.D.), a respected Jain monk, mentions of paintings depcting the life of Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara. However, apart from these textual references we have an actual represntation of a 'Lady holding a painted pata as one of the illustrations from the Ms of Palam Mahapurana dated 1540 A. D. This clearly indicates
गदा अस्पतदिऽरयमचाखऽ धुतल्सयएसन
VERE
Stall
रिकन
gafia
डिएपा वाधिमा ER
Fig 1
Lady holding a pata
2.
Tarangavati (abridged by Nemichandra Suri in the 11th Cent. A.D. Chaupanna Mahapurusha Chariyam. Ms. no. 758. Hamsavijay collection Baroda, ref. Courtesy U. P. Shah Saryu Doshi, The Iconic and the narrative In Jain Painting Marg, vol XXXIV, No. 3. Bombay 1986 p. 32
3.