Jaina Antiquities at Badasahi (Mayurbhanj)

The village Badasahi is located on the left side of Baripada Udala Road and is approached by a motorable road, branching at a distance of 12km from Dukura chowk. It preserves a number of Jaina relics near the Mangala shrine in one corner of the Bodhi pokhari (pond) 177. Three isolated images are kept under a banyan tree and one of them is a Jaina chaumukha (50x17cm) depicting four Tirthankara images on its cardinal niches (18x09x15cm) viz., figures of Risabhanatha, Ajitanatha, Chandraprabha and Parsvanatha, which is locally worshiped as “Chandrasena” as the chief deity of the village (Pl.LXXXVIA). In its honor “Upaparva” or “Chadaka Puja” (hook swinging festival) is celebrated with great splendor on the full moon day of “Baisakha”.178 The Tirthankara images are carved in kayotsarga posture over lotus pedestal along with their respective lanchanas and chauri bearers. The chaumukha is designed in the shape of miniature pidha temple i.e. having square base with pyramidal roof crowned by amlakasila.

The other Jaina relics are four armed image of Ambika as identified by R.P. Mohapatra is originally an image of four armed Parvati and the fragment containing the diminutive Tirthankara images reported by him is now missing at the place.