Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

Author(s): Umakant P Shah, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 50

Notes on Art
drawing fish-like eyes had also been popular in Gujarat as is evident from the manuscript paintings of the Pancākhyāna discussed by U. P. Shah,83 This treatment of eyes, more prominently and beautifully drawn is found, in a manuscript Yasodhara carita from north Gujarat illustrated by Mrs. Sarayu Doshi,84 and dated in 1596 A.D. That this manuscript of Yasodhara-carita hailed from Gujarat and that its style was popular in Gujarat is proved by another such manuscript with beautiful similar paintings drawn perhaps by the same artist or his pupil, seen some years ago by me in Jaina collection in Surat. It has no colophon and seems to be somewhat later than the one published by Mrs. Doshi. The Yasodhara Carita published by Mrs. Doshi was painted by Citārā Nānji, probably at Idar. 86 It must be remembered that the territory of the old Idar State touched the Mewad border and had close cultural ties with Mewad. There does seem to be some relation of Nãnji's Yasodhara carita with the Rāgamálä set from Chawad dated in 1605 A.D.
Cosmographical charts of two and a half continents ( Adhai-dvipa-paças ) were very popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan, with Śvetāmbara Jainas, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and probably a little earlier. A section from one such paya, assignable to c. 1600-1650 A. D., is published here in fig. 78. Drawings of the human pair seen in this figure are typical and in a set pattern, with faces with extended farther eye. In some pațas we occasionally come with a kulähdāra turban. A detailed comparative study of all such pațas from different collections would be interesting.
Jaina bhandāras have also disclosed illustrated
manuscrips of classical Sanskrit
83Jbid., figs. SA, 55, 56, and 57 (in colour). 34Khandalawala and Sarayu Doshi, in chp. 31 of Jaina Art and Architecture, Vol. III, colour fig. 37.
"probably north Gujarat," but she had shown me this manuscript when she brought it a few years ago from a Dig. bhandara in Rajasthan (probably Beawar or Amber) and the colophon gave the name of the painter as Citārā Nanji. So far as I remember Çitära Nanji is reported in the colophon as hailing from Idar (lladurga ?) or that the ms. is said to have been copied at Idar. Mrs. Doshi was requested to send me a photo of the last page giving the colophon and I am still awaiting the promised photograph to check up the reference to the place name. But the fact that Mrs. Doshi has said "probobly from north Gujarat," leads me to believe that my impression is correct. 85have a few coloured slides of this manuscript whose present whereabouts are not known. Unfortunately these could not be published in this volume but I hope to publish them later. See footnote 84above.