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
The nun below the figure of the monk has a brownish complexion, The second nun, on a lower plain, wears a yellow upper garment and a white lower one. The nuns sit on a rosy carpet with yellow border. The first lady, in front of nuns, wears a green coli, a yellow ghāgharā (skirt) with red spots, the second lady also wears a green coli and a greenish skirt with rosy spots, the third lady wears a green coli and a pink skirt. In the second row, the ladies wear green, yellow and blue colis and grey, green and yellow skirts.
Fig. 143 is a detail from a Vijnaptipatra from Jodhpur written in V. S. 1892= A. D. 1835 and addressed to Devendra sūri at Surat (Cat no. 560 ). It is preserved in the L. D. Institute, Ahmedabad (Reg. no. 27644), size is: 1110 x 29 cms. The Jina's mother rests on a cot with red bed and cushion. The Mother wears a yellow coli and orange coloured shirt with blue paryasatka in centre. She wears a blue odhani with yellow border. The attendant wears a yellow odhani. Behind the arches the walls are green. This may be compared with figures 139-140 from another Vijñaptipatra from Jodhpur in the collections of Dehlāno upāśraya, Ahmedabad, which is a more refined production of a superior artist.
Fig. 148 illustrates another detail of a portion from the Vijnaptipatra from Jodhpur noted above, and dated in V. S. 1892-1835. A. D. Here an ācārya is giving discourse to the fourfold Jaina sangha represented by figures of Jaina laymen, laywomen, monks and nuns. A lower small panel shows a female dancer in Muslim costume, accompanied by a group of musicians playing mrdanga etc. The drawing is somewhat crude with very thick lines. It will be seen that the Vijnaptipatra does not follow the style of Marwar represented by this Jodhpur Vijnaptipatra. The other Vijñaptipatra from Jodhpur in Dehlā no upāśraya collections no. 200 (Cat. no. 559) and dated in V. S. 1882 = A. D. 1825 shows more refined taste of the artist (fig. 139-140).
• Figures 145-146 are from a Vijnaptipatra on paper, from Krsnagadha (Kisangadh) near Ajmere in Rajasthan, written in V. S. 1874 = 1817 A.D. and addressed to Pandit Rūpavijayaji at Rajanagar (Ahmedabad). It is preserved as no. 202 in the collections of the Dehlāno upāśraya, Ahmedabad. The first picture (fig. 145) represents a gateway of the Kisangadh fort showing love of nature of Kisangadh
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