Modern Temples Containing Sculptural Specimens

During explorations in the different areas of ancient Bengal I have noticed that Jain images are still worshiped, however, these images are placed in the newly constructed temple in amalgamated contexts and worshiped as Brahmanical deities. Among those sites Laulara, Dhadki, Paruda, Badra, Baramoshya, Bhasardanga, Manbazar, Kurmasol, Mahara, Sonadaha, Sashandihi, Suisa, Surulia, Golamara, Sitalpur, Karcha, Bhangra, Anai jambad, Sakra/Sankra and Nadiha of Purulia district; and Muninagar, Penara, Dwarika, Kumbhasthal, Sihar/Shihar, Sonamukhi, Chuyamosne, Radhamohanpur, Pakhanna, Hadal-Narayanpur, Biharinath hill, Jorda, Rudra, Kechanda, Satpatta, and Simlapal of Bankura district; Gohagram and Sirarai of Burdwan district (Asansol and Durgapur sub divisions) Marandighi, Kesiari, Uttarraybar, Manoharpur and Ayodhyabar of West Midnapur district; Karanjali-Katabeniya of South Twenty Four Parganas district; Triveni of Hooghly district; Masagram from Burdwan district (Sadar North and Sadar south sub division); Mallarpur of Birbhum district and Baladihi/Beladihi and Kudo of Burdwan district (Katwa and Kalna sub division); provide the data so far as this particular context is concerned.

In the second group 19 sites have been documented from Purulia district. The site Loulara is located near Pakbirra and yields Jain sculptural and architectural remains. In the Mukherjipara of this village there is a modern Kāli temple and in front of this temple three Jain Tīrthaṅkara images are placed on a cemented platform. These images are regularly worshipped by villagers as village deities. We also documented some architectural remains in and around this find spot. The presence of Tīrthaṅkara images indicate that the site has an earlier association with Jainism, however, at present Jainism totally disappeared from this village, though the eroded Tīrthaṅkara images are still worshipped as popular deities of the Brahmanical order. Dhadki, is another satellite site of Pakbirra, situated under the jurisdiction of the Pooncha Police Station. The archaeological ruins of this site were first reported by J.D.Beglar (Beglar 1878: 195-96). He documented a renovated temple facing east in the Dhadki Tanr area of this village. However, during our recent visit at the site we only noticed a low mound at Dhadki Tanr and three Tīrthaṅkara images housed in a modern Śiva temple in the western part of this village (Pl.XII.C). According to the local villagers the images were found while digging this low mound at Dhadki Tanr area. Possibly the temple which was mentioned by Beglar in his report had a Jain temple. These Tīrthaṅkara images are presently worshipped as Śiva by the local people. The site Paruda is situated about 15 kms away from Dhadki. The Shyamsundar temple complex of this village has several architectural members including a huge āmalaka strewn over the fairly high mound of the temple complex itself. An annexed room of the temple has a well preserved specimen of Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha and occasionally worshipped by the local villagers as Brahmanical deity. According to the villagers several fragments of Tīrthaṅkara icons were found from a number of ponds/water bodies of this village. The site needs extensive exploration for better understanding about the nature of Jainism in this village. In the western part of Badra village, on a cemented platform are several fragmentary stone sculptures are kept. Among the fragmentary images we documented two damaged specimens of Jain Tīrthaṅkara image worship in amalgamation context. Shri Bharatvarshiya Digamber Jain (TS) Mahasabha, New Delhi was constructed a modern temple at Baramoshya. Inside this temple fifteen Tīrthaṅkara images are kept along with two caumukhas or pratimāsarvatobhadrikās and one image of an unidentified female deity (Pl.XII.D). These images were unearthing from the nearby area of the modern temple and the varieties of the Jain Tīrthaṅkara images indicate that there must be a temple during the early medieval period. These Jain antiquities are enough evidence to identify the site with Jain religious affiliation though the presence of Brahmanical ideology developed in later period cannot be ruled out altogether. Very close to the famous temple site Budhpur, the site Bhasardanga exhibits an exquisite specimen of Jain caumukha. However, this image is worshiped as a Brahmanical deity. More extensive exploration is very much required for better understanding about the nature of Jainism in the nearby area of the present site.

We recorded three Jain icons in the private temple of the Rāja of Manbazar locally known as Garh Patharmahara Thakurbari at Manbazar town. According to the present Rāja the icons were brought from a place near Budhpur. These images are worshipped in amalgamated context with Brahmanical deities. In a modern Śiva temple at Kurmasol, situated under the Kenda Police Station, a beautiful image of Jain Tutelary Couple is presently worshipped as Śiva Pārvati or Hara Pārvati. Some fragmented sculptural specimens have also been documented from the two different localities of this village. Close to Kurmasol the site Mahara exhibits several architectural fragments like āmlakas, kalasa and etc. Besides these, the site also possesses an extant temple complex which has undergone several courses of renovation works. The presence of an image of Jain Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha, attached on the rear wall of Deuli is clearly evidential to identify the Jain character of the site. Unfortunately this Jain image is presently worshiped as Brahmanical deity.

Under the jurisdiction of the Barabazar Police Station the village Sonadaha is situated. At the western part of the village in the locality known as Khelaicandi there is a modern temple and it has three specimens of Jain sculptures, Ṛṣabhanātha icon installed in the temple and two caumukhas. These images are worshipped as Brahmanical deities. However, in all probability all these Jain images clearly lead us to the assertion that they form the part of an abandoned Jain temple complex either situated at the site or at some place in its vicinity. Other habitational remains recorded from the place further delineate the settlement character of the site. Sashandihi is another important archaeological site situated in the same police station containing a good number of memorial stones / menhirs in situ condition. We documented ruins of a Viṣṇu temple in this village along with a magnificent image of lord Viṣṇu. However, an image of Jain Yakṣiṇī Ambikā is worshipped as, Brahmanical goddess Durgā, in a newly constructed temple at the center of the village. The sculptural remains of this village show that the site was very much popular among the people of both the religious ideologies, though Jainism was penetrated earlier than the Brahmanism. It was probably the Brahmanical religious ideology that legitimized the ritual area which m3ay have served as the main inspiration behind the selection of such spot as a burial ground in order to satisfy the ideological base of the Brahmanised folk communities (exclusively meant for ancestral worship). Beglar visited the site of Suisa, located under the Baghmundi Police Station and noticed numerous stone sculptures, mostly were associated with Jainism, were kept under a Bata tree (Beglar 1966:190). During our recent visit we also found this group of sculptures presently kept inside an enclosure supposedly constructed by the West Bengal Directorate of Archaeology (Pl.XII.E). In all probability all these artefacts clearly lead us to the assertion that they form the part of an abandoned Jain temple complex of Deuli, which is very close to this site. Two beautiful (one of them is broken) Tīrthaṅkara images are presently kept the modern Śiva temple of Surulia and worship as a Brahmanical deities. We also recorded some architectural remains from this site; however, it is very unfortunate that we felt to locate the actual contexts of those sculptural as well as architectural remains.

The sites Golamara, Sitalpur, Karcha and Bhangra all are situated adjunct to Chharra and exhibits Jain sculptural remains. During our exploration at Golamara, we documented three Tīrthaṅkara images from Bhairava sthan. Most probably these images were brought from the site Chharra when the temples of Chharra were abandoned. An image of Jaina Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha is now plaque on the outer wall of a modern Śiva temple of Sitalpur (Bhowmick 1983: 38-39). The low structural mound, close to this Śiva temple, must be exposed for better understanding about the nature of this settlement.

The modern Durgā temple at Karcha possesses a large āmlaka, besides, two images of Jain Tīrthaṅkaras. Among them Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha image is presently fixed in the outer wall of a modern Durgā temple and this is partially damaged. Another one is the image of Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha which is also badly damaged and kept in the house of a local resident of the village. The site Bhangra possesses an ancient temple that has undergone long courses of renovation. In all probability, a solitary specimen of Jain caumukha (Bhowmick 1983: 39-41) along with a figurine of Tīrthaṅkara and a Hero stone now installed in the modern construction form a part of the original temple complex. Close to this temple there is another modern temple contains a sculpture of Jain Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha. In every case the Jain Tīrthaṅkaras lost their own identity and worship as different Brahmanical deities.

Some year earlier six Jain Tīrthaṅkara images were discovered from Anai Jambad and presently these images are kept in a modern temple (Pl.XII.F). In spite being a Brahmanical settlement, the site and its Jain religious ethos are still breathing under the active control/patronage of the existing Jain religious communities and by their regular worship of the said transferred specimens from the site. The site also possesses few stray occurrences of hero stones. The site needs extensive exploration for proper understanding about nature of Jain antiquities. In the south-western part of Sakra/Sankra there is a modern temple dedicated to the local god Dharma. In this temple two Tīrthaṅkara images and a broken fragment of Jain icon are presently worshipped in this temple as Brahmanical deities (Pl.XII.G).

According the local villagers they collected these images from the in and around the village. During our recent field survey we also located some places which need detailed study as well as documentation. In the eastern side of Nadiha village there is a modern temple known as Basuli Mandir and inside this temple defaced Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha image is presently worshipped as Jagrata Ma Kali by the local villagers. This modern temple is actually constructed over the ruins of an ancient temple and we also noticed some architectural remains in and around this temple complex.

We have identified sixteen archaeological sites/settlements or “find spots” associated with the Jain ideology from Bankura district belongs to this group. The close examine revealed that Basulimata idol of the Basuli temple at Muninagar is actually a Tīrthaṅkara image. Some other Jain sculptural fragments are also kept in this temple complex and they are all worshipped as Brahmanical icons. This area needs further investigations so as to get more supportive evidence in elucidating the actual context of the said sculptural remains and their association with Jainism. This example is a clear indication of the transformation of a Jain deity into a folk deity. The same things we also found in two other sites close to the Muninagar. The recent exploration at Penara documented a Jain Tīrthaṅkara image, which is still worshipped as Kali Mata in this locality. The change of identity from a Jain deity to Kali Mata is noteworthy especially in the context of the spread of the Sakti cult in the Rāḍha region. It must be noted that such transformations and changes have been executed on several occasions only on Jain images. In the center of the Dwarika village there is a temple of Pasan Kali Mata (Mitra 2010). The Pasan Kali deity is actually the image of a Jain Tīrthaṅkara later transformed into a Brahmanical deity.

A single piece of Jain Tīrthaṅkara image is now worshipped in the house of a local villager of Kumbhasthal (Chattopadhyay 2010: 168-69). Beside, this image we also noticed some other architectural remains scattered different localities of the village and these archaeological remains along with an image of Ṛṣabhanātha are enough to elucidate the religious identity of the site which is mainly Jain in character. The stone image worshipped as Śāntinātha Śiva at Sihar/Shihar is actually a beautiful stone image of Tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha (Singha 1390 BS: 13). Besides, a doubtful image of the same Jina, reported from this site is now in the collection of the VSPM (Vishnupur Sahitya Parisad Museum), Vishnupur. This particular find spot requires further investigation to get more supportive evidence to elucidate the actual context of the said sculptural remains and their association with Jainism.

Shyamamayi temple of Sonamukhi is well known and very popular among the local villagers. This is actually a late medieval temple enshrining two stone images. Among them one is a unique image of Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha. It is presently worshipped as a Brahmanical deity (Pl.XII.G). Presences of this Jain antiquity in the locality indicate that this small town had a long religious history and Jainism was there during the 9^th -10^th century CE. In the Ganguli Para of the Chuyamosne village a Jain votive shrine (caumukha) is presently kept in a modern temple and regularly worship as Śiva liṅga. In this village we also notice some low structural mound and other stone architectural members. It is very difficult to ensure their proper contexts of this sculptural specimen, though this antiquity indicates the presence of Jainism in and around the site during the early medieval period. A modern temple of Radhamohonpur, locally known as Buddha Mandir, has a sculpture of Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhanātha (Chattopadhyay, Ray & Majumder 2011-12 & 2012-13: 137). Presently the deity is worship as Buddhawar Śiva. According to the villagers the sculpture was collected from the bank of the river Damodar in the Bengali year 1328 B.S. The find spot is also close to another local Śiva temple known as Baleswar Mandir. Maghi purnima is the date of the annual celebration of the deity “Buddha”. Fairs and festivals are organized during that time. The site needs more details investigations.

So far as Jain remains are concerned, a beautiful Jain caumukha is noticeable amidst the locally worshipped deity and heaps of terracotta offerings at Manasatala of Kalyanpur area of Pakhanna. Some other Jain sculptural remains were also reported from this site and presently some of them are non-traceable as remaining are still worship in the different localities of Pakhanna as Brahmanical as well as folk deities. Some stone sculptures are housed in a modern temple at Dakshin Para of Brahmani Para of HadalNarayanpur. These images are regularly worshipped by the local villagers. Among these sculptural remains one can identify an abraded specimen of a Jain Tutelary Couple. This image specially worshipped as Hara-Pārvati. In both the cases we felt to trace the actual contexts of the Jain images, though the presence of Jain images indicates that these sites have earlier association with Jainism.

The modern temples of Biharinath hill, Jorda (Bara Jorda) and Rudra exhibit some Jain Tīrthaṅkara images. The Biharinath hill is presently very famous for its Śiva temple. However, in this temple compound we documented a Pārśvanātha still worshipped along with an image of snake hooded Viṣṇu (Pl.XIII.A). The presence of twelve armed snake hooded Viṣṇu along with Pārśvanātha image is quite significant for the study of this particular form of Viṣṇu. It may be assume that the inspiration for this snakehooded form can be readily had from an image of Pārśvanātha. In case of Jorda (Bara Jorda) some stone sculptures and a hero stone (Vīrastambha) are fixed on modern temple walls (ibid.) of this village. Among these sculptural specimens some are associated with Jain religious ideology and it suggests that during the early medieval period Jainism also flourished in this area. However, at present all these Jains images are worships as Brahmanical deities. The modern temple of Rudra dedicated to lord Śiva and inside this temple a damage specimen of Jain Tīrthaṅkara image is notice. Besides, this specimen we also recorded two parts (upper and lower) of a snake hooded Viṣṇu image from the market area of the present village. R.D. Banerji (1929: 644) notices a sculpture of a Jain Śāsanadevī or Yakṣiṇī from Kechanda which is still worshiped as a Brahmanical deity at the centre of the village (Pl.XIII.B). A modern temple was constructed in front of the ruined structure at Satpatta. This modern temple contains some remarkable Jain sculptural remains (Pl.XIII.C) which were originally found from the ruined temple complex (Chattopadhyay 2010: 165). These Jain sculptural remains suggest that the site had some earlier association with the Jain ideology. The local Zamindar of Simlapal has a palace which is now in ruins condition. At this palace-courtyard there is late medieval temple of lord Viṣṇu. We have documented five Jain images fixed in this temple wall (Pl.XIII.D). According the local information they collected these images from the nearby are of Simlapal along the river Silavati.

We have documented five archaeological sites/settlements or “find spots” from different parts of Burdwan District, which belongs in this group.  Among the five sites/settlements or “find spots” three are in the zone II area (Sadar North and Sadar south sub-divisions) and the remaining two are in the zone III area (Katwa and Kalna sub-divisions).

During our exploration at the Sadar North and South sub-division of Burdwan district I noticed a low habitational cum structural mound at Gohagram. A late medieval temple stands on the northern section of this mound. Some miniatures Jain images are now kept in this temple along with Brahmanical deities and regularly worshipped as Brahmanical deities. The area demands further extensive exploration. In the central part of the Sirarai village there is a modern Śiva temple and inside of this temple a Jain Tīrthaṅkara image is kept. In this case this Tīrthaṅkara image lost its original identity and the icon transfer as Brahmanicla deity.

During our exploration we observed that a miniature Jain tutelary couple is kept in a modern Śiva temple of Masagram. This temple stands over an old low structural mound. Though the nature of this mound is not very clear but the scattered brick bats and potsherds indicate that the mound carries some early medieval and medieval occupational debris. However, the context of this image is uncertain.

We found a best example of this group from Babladihi / Beladihi situated in the (Katwa and Kalna sub-divisions) Burdwan district. Modern temples of this village worship a stone image popularly known as Nyantesvara Śiva. Actually this is an image of Tīrthaṅkara Śāntinātha. Here we can observe the transformation of the divine into a different religious deity. The same situation was also found in Kudu. In this village there are two temples popularly known as Kundakshi Mata mandir and Brahmeshwar Śiva mandir. Both the temples contain some important stone sculptural specimens associated with the Brahmanism and Jainism. However, these Jain images lost their own identity in course of time (Pl.XIII.E).

Marandighi, Kesiari, Uttarraybar, Manoharpur and Ayodhyabar are five sites situated in West Midnapur district. An image of Ṛṣabhanātha made of makra stone and an image of snake hooded Viṣṇu made of chlorite stone are worshipped at the Garam Chandi than of Marandighi village. The site Kesiari has some early medieval temples most probably built over the earlier habitational mounds. The renowned Sarbamangala temple of lateritic stone has a few stone icons. Among these images some are associated with the Jain ideologies. However, these images along with other Brahmanical images are worshipped as Brahmanical deities. The Jain images lost their own identity and unfortunately we were not able to trace the contexts of these images. During our recent exploration in the Dantan area we may collected information from the local villagers that a Jain Tīrthaṅkara image is kept in the Narmadeswari temple of Uttarraybar and the temple authority did not allow anyone to take photograph of this image because this image is presently under worship. We also noticed a Jain Tīrthaṅkara image worshipped in the Sitala temple of Manoharpur. In both the cases the images lost their own identify and wereconverted as Śiva. A badly abraded image of Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha is presently worshipped as Chandiburi, village deity, a form of Durgā in the Ayodhyabar village. In this case the Jain image has been transformed in to a folk deity.

An image of the 23^rd Jain Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha is regularly worshipped as Bisalakshmi deity in Karanjali-Katabeniya village of South  Twenty Four Parganas district. In Raidighi a Tīrthaṅkara Pārśvanātha image is worshipped as Dharmathakur. In both the cases Jain images have been converted to folk deities and are still worshipped.

In one of the ghats of Triveni near the place from where the Saraswati emerges from the Bhagirathi are scattered with temples of later historical period. There are at least four icons of the so-called Pāla-Sena period still worshipped in this temple complex. Among these sculptures some Jain images are also worshiped as Brahmanical deities (Pl.XIII.F). However, I failed to trace the contexts of these Jain images.