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A Newly Discovered Jaina Sarvatobhadrikā Image of Gupta period from Tumain, dist. Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh
Dr. Navneet Kumar Jain &
Dr. S. K. Dwivedi
The village of Tumain (ancient Vansāhavaya, Vanasāvatthi and Tumbavana) lies about 08 kms away from district headquarter of Ashoknagar in Madhya Pradesh, was one of the most important historical city of north India in ancient times. The various findings including pot-shreds and building-structures exposed during archaeological excavations conducted by the Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) University', ranging from early-historic period to onwards, and ample art remains scattered in and around the village belonging to different sects viz. Buddhism, Brahmanism, Jainism etc., ranging from 5th century to 18th century AD, reveal that it had been a great centre of trade and commerce as well as a pious land to shelter above religions and their enormous art and architectural activities through the ages. Tumain finds mention also in literature. The earliest literary description of the city of Tumain is found in a Buddhist text Suttanipāta' that the disciples of a Brahmin named Bāvarī reached to Srāvasti from Aşmaka (Assaka) via Pratisthāna, Māhismatī, Ujjanī, Gonarda, Vidiśā, Vansāhavaya (Vansāvatthi), Kauśāmbī and Sāketa, to meet Gautam Buddha. Most of the scholars identified Vansāhavaya as present Tumain. Besides this, Buddhaghosa (c. Ist century AD) and Barāhamihira (c. 6th century AD) also mention the glory of the city Therefore, it proves that the Tumain was an important city located on the way from Southern (Asmaka) to East (Srāvasti) continuously from 6th century BC to onwards. Most probably, this might have been one of the main route through which Jainism was arrived in the discussed area and further moved ahead in different directions. In Gupta period, Tumain continued to be an important city. This is proved by epigraphical evidences. An inscription
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