Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

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

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Notes on Art
Gradually, from Jaina collections more and more manuscripts illustrating Jaina stories and dating from sixteenth to nineteenth centuries are being discovered. These stories afford ample opportunities to the painter of introducing various new elements and themes from day to day life of the age. Further exploration of such illustrated Rasas, Caupaies etc. is likely to bring interesting results and throw light on the origin and spread of different schools in Rajasthan and Gujarat. An illustrated manuscript of Vijayaletha-Vijaya-Sethäni-räsa (Cat, no. 490), composed in old Gujarati, has been recently found, for the first time, in the collections of the Jaina Pracyavidya Bhavan, Paladi, Ahmedabad. Some of the miniatures from this work are illustrated here in figs. 88, 89, 91, 92 and colour fig. ZA. The costumes of ladies in figs. 88, 89 etc. suggest that this work was painted in Gujarat or Sauraṣṭra. Costumes of males with jāmās and occasionally with a very high cap like headress and some show Mughal influence in the dress of local population. Turbans of various types, similar to some Marwari types are also seen. The manuscript may be assigned to c. 1700 A.D. It must be remembered that these were all popular throughout Gujarat, especially in trade centres like Ahmedabad and Surat. It is known that during this period Surat population included a number of residents from Jodhpur area.
Another rare illustrated Räsa, found for the first time, is Śri Jambüsvāmi-Rāsa (Cat. no. 486), recently acquired by the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad, and dated in V. S. 1775-1718 A.D. It has more than twenty illustrations, often on plain white background. The illustrations (see fig. 90) are less stylised and the narration of the story and the actions of various persons and animals are portrayed with considerable success. The manuscript seems to have been painted in Gujarat.
We have already stated that Surat like Ahmedabad was an important centre. This is further supported by two newly discovered manuscripts of Sripala-rasa giving the story of Sripala and his worship of the Siddha-cakra and the Pañca. paramesthins. Sripala-räsa has been very popular amongst Svetämbara Jainas and illustration in Popular Mughal style from one manuscript was published in Jaina Citrakalpadruma, Vol. 1, fig. 272.
Figures 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 illustrated from a Śripāla-Rasa in the Vijaya-NemiVijñānā Kasturasuri Jñana-bhandara, Surat are in a popular style. The manuscript
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