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THE WORLD OF JAINISM
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under the Rashtrakutas. At Ellora, Ankai-Tankai and Dharashiva we have Jain caves which indicates that Jainism remained popular till at least the 10th, 11th century A.D.
Karnataka's contact with Jainism is traditionally associated with the migration of Digambaras under Bhadrabahu to this region in the early centuries before the Christian era. It flourished under the Gangas and later the Kadambas. Even today we come across deserted ruins which once formed active Bastis of the Jains.
As has been pertinently observed by Dr. S. B. Deo, Jainism seems to have spread in successive phases of migration rather than a continuous connected chain of events and also that the Digambaras seem more restricted to the south and the Svetambaras to the north.
The early Jaina art is characterised by simple figures such as those of Parsvanatha or the Tirthankaras from the Chausa, the Akota and the Vala hoards. In the North-Western regions of Gujarat/Rajasthan with the employment of marble a new tradition of highly decorative art appears to have been started. It also influenced even the art of metal sculpture of the Jains. Compositions in metal such as the Samavasarana or the Chaturvimsati Pattars (Fig. 11) go to indicate the extent of influence exercised by this new trend. Though the Jain religion at no stage enjoyed the status of a state religion, the affluent Jain merchant community was responsible for munificient donations which went a long way in building up the traditions of the Jain art.
In harmony with the indigenous traditions of the respective regions the composition varies from the representation of the eight Pratiharyas in case of Northern sculptures (Fig. 4) to a scroll emanating from the mouth of gargoyle on either side and terminating into a Kirtimukha on the crest in the case of Southern images (Fig. 5). The triple umbrella over the Jinas too differs in form in the northern and southern images. Once again the simpler composition of the stele from Karnataka is in contrast with the elaborate form of the northern one; the obvious reason for this could well be the difference in attitude between the Digambaras and Svetambaras. Nevertheless, in the Deccan at places such as Ankai we see the lingering influences of both the Northern and Southern traditions.
After the eighth century, Jainism too appears to have fallen in line with the increasing tendency to produce miniature metal shrines which were installed and worshipped in private homes. But as mentioned earlier, such shrines became increas. ingly elaborate in later centuries to the extent that they gradually lost their aesthetic value. It is a common practice among the Jains to have "Chaitya-grihia" or portable metal
