Treasures of Jaina Bhandaras

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

Page 58

Notes on Arts
A third pața, less refined and of a later date, painted in V.S. 1780=1723 A.D., illustrating a text of Pratistha-kalpa (installation ceremony), is preserved as no. 146 in the collections of the Jaina Pracya-vidyā Bhavan, Paladi, Ahmedabad (see colour figs. Z and ZA). European influence is seen in caps of two figures in Colour fig. Z; Mughal influence is obvious in the costumes of the figures in Colour fig. ZA (cat. no. 518). It was painted at Cambay.
Another interesting cloth painting of 17th century is the pata of Lokapuruşa and hells from Samvegi Upāșraya, Ahmedabad, illustrated in fig. 93. Fig. 94 illustrates only a section from Prāsāda-Pratisthā-yantra in Dehlā no upāśraya, assignable to C. 1650 A.D. (Cat. no. 538).
These new experiments in painting at Ahmedabad in the seventeenth century are reflected in the profusely illustrated manuscript of Lokaprakāśa copied in V.S. 1714=1657 A.D. at Rajanagara (Ahmedabad), now preserved in the collections of Dehlā no upāśraya (Cat. no. 482,) and illustrated here in figs. 103-104. Lokaprakāša, composed by Vinayavijaya in V.S. 1708=A.D. 1652 at Junagadh (Jirnadurga) near Girnar in Saurashtra afforded new scope and a variety of themes to the painter. It became so popular that another profusely illustrated manuscript was copied in V.S. 1837 = A.D. 1781 at Patana ( Cat. no- 498). A third manuscript copied in V. S. 1947 (A.D. 1890), very probably at Patana99 is preserved in the Hamsavijaya collection, Sri Ātmaramji Jaina Jñāna-mandira, Baroda (Cat. no. 513). This too is profusely illustrated. Fig. 163, possibly illustrating the Vijaya-dvāra of Jaina Cosmographical belief, is published from this manuscript in the collections at Baroda. Colour fig. ZE is from the Lokaprakāśa painted in Ahmedabad in 1657 A.D., noted above. 'Figures 103-104, also from this manuscript, show affinity with the style of paintings of what is known as Tulārām's Bhāgavata Paintings, now scattered in different collections in India and abroad. These Bhāgavata Paintings are assignable to c. late 17th or early 18th century A.D. 100
"We know that both Pravartaka sri Kantivijayaji and Muni Hamsavijayaji ordered copies of several old and rare texts and diposited them in the Jñanamandira collections at Baroda. The Lokaprakāśa copied in V. S. 1947 could be one such copy made at Patan.
10 More Documents of Jaina Paintings, p. 23.