Temples of Kumbhariya

Author(s): M A Dhaky, U S Moorty
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 57

Jainism in Gujarat
One of the most influential pontiffs of the late years of Karṇadeva and early decades of Siddharāja was Maladhārī Abhayadeva sūri of Harṣapurīya-gaccha. At his instance, the Cahamāna monarch Pṛthvīrāja I installed a golden finial on the Jaina temple at Ranathambhora. He, moreover, went to Gopagiri (Gwalior) and got the gates of the Jaina temple there, which for long were closed, opened by invoking the help of king Bhuvanapala (Kacchapaghāta Mahipala). In A.D. 1086, he consecrated the image of Antarīkṣa Pārsvanatha in Śrīpura, to which king Elaca granted the village Śrīpura (Sirpur) itself. By his preaching, a temple to Jina Mahāvīra was built in Meḍatapura (Meḍata) in Rajasthan. At his instance, minister Santu installed golden finials on the Śakunikavihāra in Bṛgukaccha. Also at his instance, Jayasimhadeva Siddharaja forbade the killing of animals on certain auspicious days in his empire.
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In the time of Siddharaja Jayasimha (A.D. 1095-1144), Jainism touched its first highest peak of glory. The number of works produced by several different erudite pontiffs and munis of various gacchas is much too large and even if succinctly noted here would run into several pages. Only the most famous/salient works and their authors' names, therefore, can be noticed here. This is also true of the many temples, monasteries and related buildings built during this and the subsequent period of Kumārapāla.
Devacandra sūri of Purnatalla-gaccha composed Santinatha-caritra in Prakrit in A.D. 1104. In 1105, Santi sūri of Bṛhad-gaccha composed Pṛthvicandra caritra. He is also known as the founder of the 'Pappala-gaccha'. Continuing his activity on producing literary works, Vardhamana sūri, disciple of Abhayadeva sūri, composed Adinatha-caritra in Khambhata (A.D. 1104) and Dharmaratnakaraṇḍaka with an autocommentary in A.D. 1116.
In A.D. 1113, Āryarakṣita sūri founded Añcala-gaccha and, he and his disciples, as the times demanded, were actively engaged in literary activities and their followers also contributed to the temple-building activity.
Recalling the further literary productions of that age, one must note the several important works authored by Municandra sūri of Bṛhad-gaccha. Also, the Jaina scholar Vägbhața authored a work on poetics, the Vagbhaṭālankāra, and the blind Jaina poet Śrīpāla wrote the Vairocana-parajaya as well as the eulogy for the Sahasralinga taṭāka (which was a reservoir built by Siddharaja in Anahillapāṭaka), and of the Rudramahālaya temple in Siddhapura and the donative eulogy of