Jainism in Odisha (Orissa)
by Ashis Ranjan Sahoo | 2015 | 106,639 words
This essay studies the presence of Jainism in Odisha or Orissa by documenting the Art, Architecture and Iconography of Jaina images, relics, structures and establishments from different districts. In Odisha, archaeological evidences show how Jainism flourished during the 1st century BCE during the reign of emperor Kharavela, stating that Jainism wa...
Jaina Antiquities in Majhikia (Balasore)
The village Majhikia in Padampur Gramapanchayat is located on the bank of a rivulet Paganala and 15km south east of Balasore and 2km north of Maninageswar temple of Vardhanpur (Pl.XIA). Viswesvaraya temple of this village is a newly built temple having pidha vimana and a flat roofed RCC mandapa preserves a number of Brahmanical sculptures like Visnu, Varaha, Ganesa, akasha chakra and a Jaina Tirthankara image of Risabhanatha (Pl.XIB). The Tirthankara (47x43x10cm) is carved seated in dhyanamudra over a double petalled lotus pedestal. Below the pedestal his lanchana bull depicted at the center while seated figure of chauri bearer is depicted on either side of the Tirthankara, a rare representation in the Jaina art Odisha. The Tirthankara has a jata-bhara crowned by chhatravali and flanked by flying garland bearers. An oval prabhavali devoid of any decoration is also seen behind his head (Pl.XIC).