Svasti

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: K S Muddappa Smaraka Trust

Page 58

A. Ekambaranathan, Jaina Images in Tamilnadu
57
Vīrasvāmī's (Mahāvīra) great strength. These features are fully manifest in the hefty sculpture at Chettipodavu near Madurai. In fact, it is because of the presence of this bold image of Mahāvīra who, according to local belief, resembles a 'Chetti' or a stoutwealthy merchant, that the cave is called Chetti-Podavu. It may not be out of context to state that the single rock-cut images of Mahāvīra at Chettipodavu, Kalugumalai, Anaimalai and Vallimalai are carved facing the southern direction. Whether these sculptures were intentionally commissioned facing south or merely a coincidence cannot be ascertained precisely. Some scholars have tried to identify certain images with that of Mahāvīra on the basis of the three front-facing lions carved on the pedestal, mistaking them for his cognizance. These lion figures are suggestive of the simhāsana and not of the lāñchana of Mahāvīra. In fact, these motifs occur on the pedestals of the other Tīrthankaras (well identified) also, hence, the presence of lions is not a criterion to identify the sculptures of Mahāvīra.
Neminātha, the twenty-second Tīrthankara, is popularly known as Sikhamaninatha in Tamilnadu. Here, the convention of carving his image between the sculptures of Ādinātha and Mahāvīra has been adopted in places like Sittannavasal, Kalugumalai, Uttamapalayam, Chettipodavu, Kuppalanattam, etc., where they are shown in a group of three Tīrthankaras. At Kalugumalai, the central figure has a depiction of the conch emblem on its pedestal, the presence of which proves the identity of Neminātha. At Uttamapalayam and Anaimalai, the niche containing his image is fashioned like the whorl of a conch, which feature also adds credence to his identification. Sometimes, the presence of Ambikā Yakṣī to the right side of a Jina image is also taken to be an indication of his identity with Neminātha, as at Ananthamangalam. But this cannot be strictly considered as a rule for his identification. Tirumalai has a unique 16 feet high colossal image of Sikhamaninatha carved on the vertical surface of a huge rock. The very idea of sculpting this imposing figure in the 11th century A.D. is believed to have been inspired by the Bāhubali colossus of Sravanabelgola.
Pārsvanātha, Supārsvanātha Pārsvanātha is the most popularly worshipped Tīrthankara, who figures prominently in the sculptural art of Tamilnadu. As his image is iconographically different from the stereotyped form of the other Tirthankaras, it captivated the imagination of the artists more than others. As a result, almost all the cave temples in Tamilnadu possess at least one image representing him. In places like Kalugumalai, Uttamapalayam
7H. Sakar in Jaina Art and Architecture, ed. A. Ghosh, New Delhi: Bhāratīya Jñānapītha, 1975, Vol. II. 8 P.B. Desai, Jainism in South India and some Jaina Epigraphs, Sholapur, 1957 (Jivarāja Jaina Granthamāla No. 6), p. 37.
A. Ekambaranathan, Tirumalai and its Jaina temples in Tamil), p. 48.