Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

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

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Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras
Kavyas like the Kumarasambhava and the Meghaduta.87 The discovery of an illustrated copy of Kiratarjuniya Mahākāvya from Dehlā no bhaṇḍāra (no. 141) Ahmedabad (Cat. no. 488), lends further hopes of future discovery of many more illustrated manuscripts of Classical Sanskrit works. Figs. 68 and 79-81 illustrate a few paintings from the Kirātārjuniya mentioned above. Drawn in a popular folkish style, the figures show Mughal influence in costumes of fighting soldiers and in the face of Śiva as Kirata. The paintings may be assigned to the first half of the eighteenth century A. D. Arjuna is generally painted in light pink and Śiva as Kirāta is painted in blue with a red cap and a yellow tiger-skin on his person.
Fig. 82 represents a scene of fight from another manuscript of Kirätarjuniyam, recently acquired by the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad. It is dated in V. S. 1825-1968 A. D. and was copied at Kharagona, modern Khargaun near Indore in M. P. The soldiers wear different costumes and Mughal as well as Deccani turbans are seen. Unfortunately there is only one painting in this manuscript (Cat. no. 496).
In the Pravartaka Śri Kantivijayaji collection in Śri Atmärāma Jaina Jñanamandira, Baroda, there is a beautifully illustrated manuscript of Śālibhadra-Caupai (Cat. no. 491) also called Salibhadra-catuṣpadikā88 which can be assigned to the first half of the eighteenth century A. D. (see figs. 83-86 and colour fig. ZC). The colours are bright, sometimes we have illustrations of the full length of the page, and almost every miniature bears a label in Rajasthani (Marwari). The colour scheme and turbans etc. suggest that the manuscript was painted in region of Marwar, perhaps in Bikaner. The turbans with white spots were also popular with the Maharao rulers of Kaccha but in Kaccha paintings the turbans are generally of a bright violet shade.
Fig. 87 represents a painting from another illustrated Jaina monuscript called Simhalakumara-Caupai, from Punyavijayaji's collections in the L.D. Institute, Ahmedabad, and dated in V.S. 1826-1769 A.D. It was copied in Bikaner as stated in the colophon.
87 New Documents of Jaina Paintings, colour plate VII figs. A and B from Meghaduta and Kumarasambhava respy., figs. 31-34 from Meghaduta and figs. 35-39 from Kumarasambhava; also see. fig. 40 from another ms. of Kumarasambhava from National Museum, New Delhi. ibid.,
88 Prof. Ernest Bender, Editor JAOS is preparing a critical edition of this text along with illustrations from this and other manuscripts of the Salibhadra story.
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