Posted on: 22 September 2014

Digital Rare Book:
The life and stories of the Jaina savior, Parsvanatha
By Maurice Bloomfield
Published by The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore - 1919

Read Book Online:

http://bit.ly/1uZZd11

Download pdf Book:

http://bit.ly/XO1Eax

Image:
Ellora: Parsvanath in west wing of Indra Sabha (left), Specimen of wall sculpture in Indra Sabha (right) - 1877

Illustration of sculptures at Indra Sabha, Cave XXXII, at Ellora from James Burgess' 'Original Drawings [of] Elura Cave Temples Brahmanical and Jaina, IIII.' The spectacular site of Ellora is famous for its series of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples excavated into the rocky façade of a cliff of basalt. The works were done under the patronage of the Kalachuri, the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta dynasties between the 6th and the 9th Centuries. Indra Sabha, Cave XXXII, is the largest of the Jain series and dates from the 9th Century, Rashtrakuta patronage. A simple gateway leads to a courtyard in which there is a monolithic shrine with a pyramidal roof. The cave is double-storey and is excavated in the rear of the courtyard. The interior of the cave has a columned mandapa or hall with niches on the three sides and the sanctuary in the middle of the back wall. Illustrated on left is the sculpture of Parsvanatha which is located in the west wing of the cave. Illustrated on right is a specimen of wall sculpture from the cave.

Copyright © The British Library Board


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Ancient statue of Paravsnath (undated) at Ramnagar village of Ahichhatra, near Bareilly, U.P. Ahichhatra's Ramnagar is an important Jain religious site, 240 KMs from Delhi. Its the place of Parvasnath's enlightenment. The "Ahi" ( Snake) & "Chhatra" ( Umbrella) i.e. the symbolism of the " Snake hood as an umbrella atop Paravsnath " as he meditates to enlightenment, is what gave the name of " Ahichhatra" to India's largest city ( physically large & populated archaeology sites ) from circa 1000 BCE to 400 CE. Ahichhatra, is of course important in Buddhist literature & a key Mahajanpada visited by the Buddha , where he gave a key sermon. As capital of the Panchalas in the Mahabharata, this is the home-town of Dhrupad, Draupadi, Drona & the first base of the Pandavas.

1008 statues of Paravasnath, at Ahichhatra - new temple. Glad to see a post on this Jain teacher. " Parsvanath" shouldn't just mean Real-Estate builders, to the non-Jainis in India. Pre-dating Mahavira & thus, the Buddha, a figure of such popularity in the ancient past, may be an important historical link to indus/harappan times ...