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decorated with scenes of human activities some of which may represent Jaina religious festivals. These facts would show that image worship was popular among the Jainas several centuries earlier than Christian era. Mathura was a very important seat of the Jainas during the period under review. The archaeological excavations' there have laid bare the remains of a Jaina stupa, temples and sculptures ranging from 2nd century B.C. to 3rd century A.D. mostly. The Mathura sculptures have placed at our disposal immense and varied materials with regard to the study of Jaina deities. They represent most of the Tīrthańkaras including Rishabha, the earliest one which shows that the belief of the Jainas in all the 24 Tirthankaras was an established fact during the period under review. The Tīrthańkara images are purely Indian conceptions and do not betray any foreign influence. One of the striking features of the Jaina figures is their nudity which distinguishes them from Buddha and Buddhist images. Nudity however is true only of the Digambara images, whereas the Śvetāmbaras clothe their figures. The Jinas bear symbols not only on the palms and soles but also in the center of their breasts. ''The hair is usually arranged in short curls in the shape of spirals turned towards the right as is also the case with the most Buddha images. But in the earlier specimens we find sometimes a different treatment. The hair assumes the appearance of a perwig or it hangs down on the shoulders in strange locks. In contradistinction with Buddha the earlier Tīrthankaras have neither Ushnishes nor Urnā but those of the latter part of the middle ages have a distinct excrecence on the top of the head." A very interesting type of the Tīrthařkara images of our period in Mathura is that of the Jina quadruple which is known in Jaina inscriptions and literature as Sarvato-bhadrikā pratimā. 'They consist of a block square in section' with a Tirthankaras carved on each of the four faces." There is no injunction however as to the particular Tīrthankaras to be figured there, but generally the most important ones are chosen. A quadruple image of an 'unnamed Jina perfectly nude' is represented on an inscribed sculptured panel found in Kankāli mound in Mathura.12 The epigraph records that it was the gift of Kumāramitā, the first wife of Sreshthin
alled Venī. The gift was made at the request of the venerable Vasulā, a female pupil of venerable Sanghamikā who is inturn a female pupil of venerable monk Jayabhūti. The inscription has been assigned to the Kushāna Period on palaeographical grounds.13 From the same site, that is Kankāli mound in Mathura, we have another very interesting representation of an inscribed Sarvatobhadrikā Pratimā of our period.
TART HET MIE-F62402, 2005
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