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Jaina Bronzes in Northern Madhya Pradesh
Jain Education International
24
The Northern part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, known as Northern Madhya Pradesh and Gwalior-Chambal division and comprises the extensive area of eight districts viz. Gwalior, Morena, Sheopur, Bhind, Datia, Shivpuri, Ashoknagar and Gūna, has witnessed a vast tradition of Jaina art and architecture. The until explored Jaina archaeological findings reveal that the Jaina art activities were initiated in the region in 6th century AD and thereafter, frequently run till 16th century AD with establishing multidimensional art-forms and innovations as evinced by a overwhelming majority of Jaina images, made of both stone and metal; temples and literary works. It is observed that from the beginning to the medieval period the Jaina adherents of the region had mainly focused on the stone-made and rock-cut sculptures, however, in 12th century AD they adopted metal for Jaina image-casting that simultaneously with stone-made and rock-cut sculptures continued later on for further four centuries (till 16th century AD). It is also noted that 12th century AD of which a few Jaina bronzes are recovered, was the beginning period of the Jaina metal image art in the region, and thereafter, it had been slowly accelerated in 13th century AD but in 14th-15th century AD it received the highest popularity among Jainas and a larger number of Jaina bronzes were casted and enshrined. The author has itself documented more than 500 (five hundred) bronzes from the entire region which are now housed and under worship in the different Jaina temples of the different towns of the region. It shows that instead of being in larger number, these bronzes do not exhibit the vast variety of Tīrthankaras and their tutelary deities but in ornamentation and elaboration, these are elegantly and exquisitely carved. These bronzes represent only about 10 different Jinas, Bahubali, Sarasvati and some Yakṣhis while the Yakşa figures are totally absent excluding miniature representations in the composition of the Jina images. The figures of Jinas include Rṣabha or Adinatha (Ist Jina), Sumati (5th Jina), Padmaprabha (6th Jina), Supārsvanatha (7th Jina), Candraprabha (8th Jina), Śitalanatha (10th
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Dr. Navneet Kumar Jain
www.jainelibrary.org
