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TULSI-PRAJŅĀ
gopikās, the episode of Bali and Vamana, samudramanthana and vivid carvings pertaining to Kṛṣṇa janma and his bālalīlās. The scene of Holi is carved in the bhramikä (corridor) ceiling of the devakulikā 41 of the Vimalavasahi (c A. D. 1150). This is a singular instance of the rendering of Holi (play of sprinkling of colourful water on each other) in plastic art. It becomes all the more important in view of its Jaina context on the one hand and its total absence in plastic art at Brahmaṇical sites on the other. It is somewhat surprising to note that the Jaina works such as Harivamsapurāṇa (of Jinasena of Punnata-gana-A.D. 783), the Mahāpurāṇa of Gunabhadra-cA.D. 897) and the Triṣaśṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra (of Hemacandra Sūri-latter half of the 12th century A.D.) dealing at length with Kṛṣṇacarita, however, do not refer to the holi of Kṛṣṇa. The present instance of the rendering of holi thus appears to have been inspired by Brahmanical works wherein this festival is variously known as suvasantaka and vasantotsava and kāmadevānuvarti. The ceiling accommodates nine figures of gopas and gopikās including Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa in the centre with small Kiriṭamukuța and long fluttering uttarīya (mana) is playing the sport of holi in gayful mood. Kṛṣṇa with two kanakaśṛngakośas (cowhorn-shaped golden sprinklers) in his hands is sprinkling the coloured water on gopas and gopikas smartly and pleasingly. All other figures lean towards Kṛṣṇa in rhythmic postures. The Lūṇavasāhi (1250 A.D.) contains the elaborate renderings of the birth of Kṛṣṇa under close vigil alongwith his childhood episodes (ara-den) including the killing of demons by Kṛṣṇa.
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The second ceiling no. 49 of Vimalavasahi exihibits a remarkable figure of 16-armed sthauņa Narasimha (man-lion incarnation of Viśņu) killing the demon Hiranyakasipu. The entire representation is so forceful and dynamic that it makes the figure undoubtedly one of the best representation of Narasimha in Indian Art.
As compared to Kṛṣṇa, the rendering of Rama was not so popular in Jaina art and the sculptural examples are found only on the Pārsvanatha temple (c 954 A.D.) at Khajuraho where at the figures of Rama-Sitä-Hanumāna and Sitā sitting in aśoka-vāṭikā and receiving the message and the ring of Rama from Hanumana are carved."
Apart from the above epical characters, several other deities were assimilated directly in Jaina worship with identical iconographic features. The concept and names of such deities are found in the early Jaina works datable between the third and the seventh century A.D. but their detailed iconographic features are enunciated mainly in the works assignable between the eighth and the 14th century A.D. The list of such deities comprises Ganesa (Jaina devakulikās at
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