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 Vestiges at Jagulei Shrine, Kartara
The village Kartara is located on the left side of the Jajpur-Nandipur road in Nandipur gramapanchayat and is about 12km from Jajpur town. There is a small flat roof RCC structure known as Gramadevati over a small mound and preserves some sculptural pieces among them the image of Ambika is noteworthy which is worshiped as the presiding deity. A Jaina chaumukha is also placed in front of the temple (Pls.XLVIIC-XLVIIID).
Ambika:
The presiding deity of Kartara known as Jagulei is a Jaina Sasanadevi image of Ambika. The two armed deity seated on lalitasana over a khatuli and her left leg rest over her lanchana lion, which is below the pedestal. She holds a baby in her left hand and a mango twig (?) in her right hand. A kneeling devotee in anjalimudra is also shown near the right leg of the deity. The deity is decked with highly costumes and ornaments. She has also a circular halo behind her head. Two chauri bearers at the bottom and two flying vidyadharas at the top are depicted on either side of the image. Two other kneeling figures in anjalimudra are also seen at the pedestal.
Chaumukha:
A Jaina chaumukha is placed in front of the Budhi Jagulei shrine. The chaumukha is fashioned in form of a miniature tri-ratha rekha style temple out of a single khandolite stone block. The votive temple is buried up to its half of bada portion. Risabhanatha, the first Tirthankara is engraved in low relief on a rectangular niche at the raha paga of the shrine, particularly at the bada portion. His lanchana bull is depicted in the pedestal below his feet. But the most interesting thing is the presence of an epigraphical record of four letters in the raha paga, above the image at gandi portion, particularly in raha projection. The record deciphered as “Udabat probably the donor of the shrine and paleographically datable to the circa 6th /7th century CE[1]. The existing measurement of the chaumukha is 85x40cm while the Tirthankara measures 16x10cm in height and width respectively.