Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal

by Shubha Majumder | 2017 | 147,217 words

This page relates ‘Archaeological sites in Rajsahi (Rajsahi Division, Bangladesh)’ of the study on the Jain Remains of Ancient Bengal based on the fields of Geography, Archaeology, Art and Iconography. Jainism represents a way of life incorporating non-violence and approaches religion from humanitarian viewpoint. Ancient Bengal comprises modern West Bengal and the Republic of Bangladesh, Eastern India. Here, Jainism was allowed to flourish from the pre-Christian times up until the 10th century CE, along with Buddhism.

Archaeological sites in Rajsahi (Rajsahi Division, Bangladesh)

170. Mandoli:

The site, situated about 15 kms north of Rajsahi district, is an important archaeological site. Two very important Jain Tīrthaṅkara images were discovered from this site. Among them the image of Tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha is presently kept in the Rajshahi Museum, Bangladesh and that of Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha is displayed in the Asutosh Museum of Indian Art, Calcutta University. Extensive exploration in around the site is very essential for the proper understanding about the nature of the site as well as the contexts of these images.

171. Deopara:

This is another well-known archaeological site situated approximately 8miles from Rajsahi town along the Rajsahi Nawabganj highway. Deopara Prashasti, an important epigraphic source for the reconstruction of the history of ancient Bengal, was discovered by C.T. Metcalfe in 1865, near this under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district. The locality around the findspot of the inscription was extensively explored and as a result of which an extensive tract of land covered by old tanks, stone relics, and remains of ancient buildings (eg. the magnificent temple of Pradyumneshvara) were discovered. The present inscription stood on the bank of a large tank now known as 'Padumshar'. Scholars identify Vijayapura, mentioned as the capital of Sena kings in Dhoyi's Pavanaduta, with the village of Vijayanagar, situated to the south of Deopara. Two sculptures of Jain Tutelary Couple were also discovered from this site and both of them were displayed in the Varendra Research Museum, Rajsahi. However, one of them seems to be lost now.

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