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Jaina Architecture and Images of Western India under ...
from Dhankagiri. There are other images too, but for want of cognisance it is not possible to recognise them. All these images are nude. Amongst other sculptures there are attendant-figures associated with the Tīrthankaras namely, Ambika and some Yakṣa.
Date for the Caves
: 81
21
Images and sculptures from these caves do help us in dating them. Burgess does not say anything about the date of the Dhanka caves. But Sankalia does think that caves on the Dhankagiri were dug around 300 A.D. on the basis of the sculptures. This view of Sankalia remains confirmed by the nudity of the Jina images. Now it is well known that we do not find a Savastra (clad) Jīna images sculptures is very inferior to those from Devni Morī. Buddha images of Devni Mori are draped in Sanghati and were moulded around 374 A.D.22 It seems possible that images from Dhanka might have been sculptured during the first half of the fourth century A.D.
Conclusion
However, for all its limitations, the Jaina art and architecture of Western India deserve the scholar's attention, especially in the light of the fact that the images and monuments of Gujarat are fewer in numbers. The foregoing discussion not only shows the state of popularity of Jainism in Western India during the reign of the Western kṣatrapas, but also sheds more light on the problems of their affiliation and date. This survey is only intended to stimulate further intensive study and research of the spread of Jainism in Western India on the basis of archaeological and literary evidences.
References:
2.
1. For the western kṣatrapa's contribution in the making of Indian heritage see Kṣatrapakālnun Gujarat by Resesh Jamindar (Gujarat Vidyapith. Ahmedabad, 1975) and Itihasa Samsodhana (Rasesh Jamindar, Ibid, 1976).
But to substantiate this there is no archaeological evidence available. This, therefore, does not help us in deciding about the question of early popularity of this religion.
