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Some Unpublished Jaina Images of Bihar
WJOY KUMAK SINITA
An Early Image of Bhagurun Sanchinatha with the Jyotiska Devas
The town of Bhagalpur, ancient Campa,' preserves a number of early Jaina sculptures in various temples. It is one of the most sacred places for the Jainas. In the beginning Jainism was an atheist religion? but during the early historic period the Jainas came closer to the Hindus and started idol worship. They adopted a number of Hindu gods und goddesses such as Ganesa, Sarasvati, Astadikpalas, Navagrahas and so on and so forth. They worship the Nuvagrahus (nine planets) as Jyotiskadevas who used to encircle the Tirthankara, just to pay reverence.
There is an early image of Bhuga vall Santinatha, the sixteenth Tirthankara at Sri Cumpapur Digambar Jain Siddhaksetra, Natunagar (a suburb of Bhagalpur). It measures 61 x 30.5 centimetres and is carved out in black basalt. (Fig. 1) The Jina is seated in the samparyunk asura on a double petalled lotus pedestal. In the centre of the pedestal, a dharmacakra (wheel of Law) luas beautifully been carved out. The pedestal, however, rests upon the back of two youthful lions seated in opposite direction by the side of wheel of law. Just below the dharmacakra, figure of a mrga (dcer, the lanchunu of Bhagavan Sanținatha) is engraved by whose side two devotos with folded palms are seen. The Jina's clonyated cars, wall closed eyes, allly hair round molemark, halu behind the loud and a Solsu mark are all typical to the Jain and The flying Gandharvas with long Ilowery garlands are depicted just by the side of the Jina's head. But the most striking iconographic feature in this sculpture is the presence of Jyotiskadevas" on either side of Bhagavan Santinatha. The leader of the Jyotiskadevas is Surya (Sun-god). He is engraved on the right side near the shoulder of the Jina. He has been described in the Jaina scriptures as the deity of the East and the husband of Ratna Devi.. He holds two lotus llowers in his hands. Here in this "Patil, D.R., The Antiquarriun Remains in Bihur, Patna, 1963, p. 78. *Sharma, B.N., 'Foreword, The Juina Iconogruphy by B. C. Bhattacharya, New
Delhi, 1974 reprint, p. 10. "Ibid. Sinha, A.K., Jalnu Shrine's in Bhagalpur (in the press) "Bhattacharya, B.C., The Juinu Iconogruphy, New Delhi, 1974 reprint, p. 116. Ibid. -
