Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal

by Shubha Majumder | 2017 | 147,217 words

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Summary: This essay studies the Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal based on the fields of Archaeology, Art and Iconography. It first deals with the history and background of Jainism in eastern India, as well as the geographical setting and sculptural remains of Jain images in ancient Bengal. Finally, an iconological study is presented regarding the Yakshas and Yakshinis.

Jainism represents a way of life incorporating non-violence and approaches religion from humanitarian viewpoint. Ancient Bengal represents the modern state of West Bengal and the Republic of Bangladesh, situated in the eastern part of the Indian sub-continent. Here, Jainism was allowed to flourish from the pre-Christian times up until the 10th century CE, along with Buddhism..

Source 1: exoticindiaart.com
Source 2: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

Acknowledgments

+ Chapter 1 - Introduction and Scope of the Present Study

. Jain Philosophy (Introduction)

. What is Jainism?

. Meaning of Tīrthaṅkara

. Jain Pañca-Parameṣṭhins

. The Digambaras and Śvetāmbaras

. Historical Development of Jainism

. History of Researches on Jainism

. The General Study of Jainism

. Regional Study of Jainism

. Researches on Jainism in Ancient Bengal

. Scope and Limitation of the Research

+ Chapter 2 - Geographical Setting of the Study Area

. General Introduction

. Geographical Setting of Zone I

. Geographical as well as Geo-political unit of Zone I

. Geographical Setting of Zone II

. Geographical as well as Geo-political unit of Zone II

. Geographical Setting of Zone III

. Geographical as well as Geo-political unit of Zone III

. Geographical settings of Zone IV

. Geographical as well as Geo-political unit of Zone IV

+ Chapter 3 - Historical Background of Jainism in Ancient Bengal

. Historical development of Jainism (Introduction)

. Life History of Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra

. Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra and Jainism in Ancient Bengal

. Jainism after the death of Mahāvīra

. Jainism in Ancient Bengal

. Jainism in ancient Bengal during the Gupta Period

. Jainism in ancient Bengal according to the travel account of Xuanzang

. Jainism in ancient Bengal during the early medieval period

+ Chapter 4 - Distribution of Sites Yielding Jaina Remains

. Archaeological sites in Purulia District

. Archaeological sites in Bankura District

. Archaeological sites in Burdwan (Asansol and Durgapur Sub-divisions)

. Archaeological sites in West Midnapur District

. Archaeological sites in East Midnapur District

. Archaeological sites in Chandraketugarh (North Twenty Four Parganas)

. Archaeological sites in District South Twenty Four Parganas

. Archaeological sites in Triveni (Hooghly District)

. Archaeological sites in Burdwan (Sadar North and Sadar South)

. Archaeological sites in Hukrahat (Murshidabad District )

. Archaeological sites in Birbhum District

. Archaeological sites in Burdwan (Katwa and Kalna sub-divisions)

. Archaeological sites in Shadipur (Malda District)

. Archaeological sites in Surohar (Uttar Dinajpur District)

. Archaeological sites in Dolgaon (Dakshin Dinajpur District)

. Archaeological sites in Dinajpur (Rangpur division, Bangladesh)

. Archaeological sites in Rajsahi (Rajsahi Division, Bangladesh)

+ Chapter 5 - Jaina Architectural and Sculptural Remains

. Abandoned Temples/Structural Ruins Containing Sculptural Specimens

. Modern Temples Containing Sculptural Specimens

. Ancient Habitational Complexes or Beneath the Trees

. Museum Collections or Recovered from Ponds

+ Chapter 6 - Iconographic Study of Jaina Sculptural Remains

. The worship of Stūpa among the Jainas

. Symbol worship in Jainism

. Image worship in Jainism

. The twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras and their Yakṣas and Yakṣiṇīs

. Temple worship in Jainism

. The Characteristic Features of Jain Icon

. Jain images from Ancient Bengal (Introduction)

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha (Introduction)

. Single depiction of Ṛṣabhanātha sculptures

. Pañca-tīrthika type of Ṛṣabhanātha sculptures

. Caubisi type of Ṛṣabhanātha sculptures

. Planetary Deities type of Ṛṣabhanātha Sculptures

. Ṛṣabhanātha sculptures with miniature Tīrthaṅkaras and Planetary deities

. Ṛṣabhanātha sculptures with miniature Tīrthaṅkaras and Dikpālas

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Ajitanātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Saṃbhavanātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Padmaprabha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Candraprabha (Introduction)

. Single depiction of Candraprabha sculptures

. Pañca-tīrthika type of Candraprabha sculptures

. Caubisi type of Candraprabha sculptures

. Miniature Tīrthaṅkara and Planatary Deities type of Candraprabha

. Dikpālas type of Candraprabha Sculpture

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Suvidhinātha or Puṣpadanta

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Vāsupūjya

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Vimalanātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Dharmanātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha (Introduction)

. Pañca-tirthika type of Śāntinātha Sculptures

. Caubisi type of Śāntinātha Sculpture

. Planatary Deities type of Śāntinātha Sculptures

. Miniature Tīrthaṅkara and Planatary Deities type of Śāntinātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Neminātha

. Images of Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha (Introduction)

. Single depiction of Pārśvanātha sculptures

. Pañca-tīrthika type of Pārśvanātha sculptures

. Caubisi type of Pārśvanātha Sculptures

. Planetary Deities type of Pārśvanātha Sculptures

. Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha with Planetary deities and Dikpālas type

. Tīrthaṅkara Mahāvīra (Introduction)

. Single depiction of Mahāvīra sculptures

. Pañca-tīrthika type of Mahāvīra sculptures

. Caubīsī type of Mahāvīra sculptures

. Planetary Deities type of Mahāvīra Sculpture

. Dikpālas type of Mahāvīra Sculpture

. Uncertain Tīrthaṅkaras

. Śāsanadevīs or Yakṣiṇīs from Ancient Bengal

. Jain Tutelary Couple or Parents of the Tīrthaṅkaras

. Jain Caumukha/Caumukhi or Caturmukhas

. Jain Aṣṭāpadatīrtha Sculptures

Chapter 7 - Summary and Observations

Appendix 1 - The Position of Yakṣas and Yakṣiṇīs in Jainism

Appendix 2 - Jain Antiquities from P.C.Nahar Collection, Kolkata

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Last Updated: 07 November, 2023

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