Jaina Antiquities at Bhairava Singhpur Kachela (Koraput)

Bhairava Singhpur village is situated in the Jeypore sub-division of Koraput. The remains of ancient shrines are found in the form of mounds located in the foothills of the nearby hills. About twenty one Jaina images^[1], six are of Risabhanatha, one each of Parsvanatha, Ajitanatha and Mahavira, five Tirthankaras with no clear cut identification and seven images of Ambika and Gomedha of different dimensions recovered from the village. These images are now displayed in the District Museum, Jeypore (Pls.LXXXIIA-LXXXIID). Some Jaina images are still lying in the village. One image of Risabhanatha fixed near the entrance of a small hut shaped temple locally known as the Maa Sankulai temple^[2]. Villagers have disfigured the image with oil and vermilion; still it can be very easily identified.

Rishabanatha image, Sankulai Temple:

He is carved seated in dhyanamudra over a pedestal and also shown with chhatra, long jatas, lotus shaped halo around head, flanked by chauri bearers and twenty three Tirthankaras (Pl.LXXXIC). Elephant and heavenly musicians are carved on the top of the slab. The four armed Chakres vari Sasanadevi, the Tirthankara is noticed seated in lalitasana over her lanchana Garuda. She holds discs in her upper hands and the lower right hand in varada mudra while lower left hand rests over her left thigh. Kneeling devotees with folded hands are also shown either side of the Sasanadevi. A diminutive size bull, the lanchana of the Tirthankara is also carved here.

Risabhanatha image, Nilakanthesvar Temple:

The State Archaeology Department has recently constructed a sculptures shed over an image of Risabhanatha at the foothill near Nilakanthesvar temple^[3]. The Tirthankara (Pl.LXXXID) is carved seated in dhyanamudra over pedestal cover up by cushion and loin cloth. He has a large lotus shaped halo behind his head. He has jatamukuta hair band in his head. Elongated ear lobe and trivali mark clearly visible in the Tirthankara. He is flanked by bejeweled chauri bearers on the either side. Trilinear umbrella flanked by male and female garland bearer super imposed by kevala tree and elephants grace the upper part of the stone slab. The place below the pedestal is carved with a six armed Chakresvari in the centre, vigorous lion on the either side along with devotees with folded hands. One broken image of Parsvanatha in kayotsargamudra is kept on the platform of the temple Nilakanthesvar temple. One more Jaina sculpture is kept in the nearby Jagannatha temple^[4].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

R.P. Mohapatra, op.cit.,1984, pp.130-135.

[2]:

J.K. Patnaik and S.K. Kar, op.cit., p.167.

[3]:

Ibid.

[4]:

Ibid.