Archaeological importance of Ada, Balasore

During field work, a number of sites containing Jaina antiquities come to notice and few of them have also structural evidences. Some potsherds collected in those areas are properly documented and supplemented by line drawings for better understanding. Pottery is considered as the alphabet of archaeology, so their study is immensely felt necessary to supplement to have relative datings to the Jaina images of the same site. The potteries taken for study or collected from the sites are Ada of Balasore district, Charampa of Bhadrak district, Kundeswara and Manapur-Gadhama of Jagatsinghpur and Baruadi of Jajpur district. They comprised mainly red ware, grey ware and black ware indicating affinity with medieval period.

The village Ada, on the bank of the river Kansabansa is situated 12km east of Kupari where a number of Brahmanical and Jaina images have been noticed. The potsherds collected from the existing small mound at middle of the village Ada over which the Jaina images are kept. The Jaina reliquaries of the site include images of Risabhanatha (2nos.), Mahavira, Chandraprabha, Santinatha, Parsvanatha (3nos.), Chakresvari (2nos. and one of them in private possession), Ambika, Ambika and Gomedha in a common stone slab (near Chatesvara Siva temple) etc. The mound contains large number of bricks in the form of concrete walls and large number of potsherd showing the richness of the site. The brick walls are clearly visible in the section of the mound and the bricks found measures 26x20x05cm in length, breadth and thickness respectively. So, the objective is to study the images along with the potsherds which substantiate a relative dating for the icons which always stands in obscurity as in case of Jaina images of Odisha.

1. Fragment of a globular vase, wheel turned and with an out-turned rim of red ware, of medium fabric, showing complete oxidized core.

2. Fragment of a neck less sturdy bulbous jar with sloping shoulders and a featureless rim, of fine fabric, showing complete oxidized core.

3. Fragment of a vase of red ware with slightly out-turned rim and oblique shoulders, of fine fabric showing complete oxidized core.

4. Fragment of a handi of grey ware with an externally flanged rim and convex profile body, of medium fabric, showing incomplete oxidized greyish core.

5. Fragment of a neck less vessel of grey ware with an out turned featureless rim and a globular semi-oxidized body, of medium fabric.

6. Fragment of a rimless basin of red ware with a discular flat base and oblique sides of fine fabric, showing a fully oxidized core and treated with a red wash on the surface.

7. Fragment of a rimless bowl of red ware with a discular flat base and slightly tapering sides, of fine fabric, showing an oxidized core with treated a red wash on the surface.