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Jain Sculptures and Art Collections in Museums
Two Jain Objects at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada By Dhruti Ghiya Rathi Dhruti is a New Jersey-based MBA, SAP and FJAS professional. A Pathshala and guest lecturer for Jainism at VCU University and High schools, she has spoken at Comparative Religion Conference, Religious Baccalaureates and Rotary Club in Richmond, VA. Involved with JainismSays-Blogspot, she researches Jain Iconography, Epigraphy, Historical and Numismatic references in Jain literature overlooked by historians, and on the applications of Jain principles. Dhruti’s research was presented at the Dating of Mahavir Nirvana Symposium by ISJS. dhrutirathi@gmail.com In continuation of the series of articles about Jain sculptures and art collections, we bring you two objects at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada. One is identified as Page 55 from a Jain Kalpasutra manuscript in Fig 1 and the other is a Figure of Jain Tirthankara as in Fig 2 and 3. These are in the Global South Asian section of the museum.
Courtesy of ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), Toronto, Canada. ©ROM Fig 1: Page 55 from a Jain Kalpasutra manuscript (Image details: Medium: watercolor; paper; gold, Geography: Gujarat, India Date: 16th century Dimension: Ht. 11 x Wt. 28 cm Period: Late Medieval - Early Modern Period, Object number: 2009.10.6 Credit Line: Charles Green Collection) Kalpasutra folios are prominent artworks from the Shwetambara Jain sect. The British Museum has some of the oldest known Kalpasutra texts used by H. Jacobi to translate. Most of them relate to the period of 15th-16th century CE. The story of Lord Mahavir in the Kalpasutra is recited during the Paryushan, for everyone to learn from. It also contains the story of Kalakacharya who relates to the period of King Vikramaditya. The script in the above folio shows the Jain Nagari script and the right image in the folio highlights the childhood of Mahavir. It shows Mahavir playing with his friends and the episode of Mahavir conquering the snake. Page 55 of this Jain manuscript is very important to Jain followers as it states various names by which Mahavir was known. In Prakrit language, it first states that his parents named him Vadhman in the first and fourth lines. The second line states Bhagav Mahavir and Kasav Gotta. The fifth line states Samana. Jain scriptures mention that Mahavir was named Vardhaman by his parents, and when enlightened, he came to be known as Bhagwan Mahavir who was a part of the Sramana tradition, belonging to Kasav or Kasyap Gotra. 23