Context: Three Jain sculptures dated around 11th century CE were discovered in Varuna village in Mysore district early this week.

Three 11th century CE Jain Sculptures Found in Karnataka

• An earth mover digging a drain found three damaged sculptures. Experts recognised them as Jain sculptures and they were shifted to the ASI museum at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalay.
• Of the three sculptures, one of the sculptures was dilapidated beyond recognition, while the two others were in reasonably good condition.
  • One of them is a sculpture of a Jain Tirthankara, but the other could not be clearly identified in the absence of symbols.
• The entire belt comprising Varuna, Varakodu, and Vajamangala around Mysore were thriving Jain centres and can be excavated to discover the ancient traditions.

Jain Sculptures in India

• Dominance: Most of the Jain Sculptures are representative of the 24 Tirthankars of Jainism.
• Position: They are represented in the seated lotus position, or standing in the meditation Khadgasana position. 
  • Usually, the standing Tirthankara is the most iconic Jain sculpture, with a rigid and usually nude representation. 

• Symbolism: These types of sculptures usually represent the ideal of a rigorous asceticism– central to the Jainism practice. 
• Presence: These Jain sculptures have been found in 
  • Shravanabelagola: Home to the iconic Gommateshvara statue, a 57-foot tall monolith of Bahubali in khadgasana position. 
  • Halebidu: The Hoysala temples depict several Jain Tirthankaras in khadgasana asana. 
  • Dilwara Temples: Located near Mount Abu, these temples feature khadgasana Tirthankaras. 
• Other Jain Sculptures: Other Jain sculptures have also been found, which carry narrative sequences from Jain Devotional texts, or have inscriptions from the Jain wordings in Prakrit languages. 

Spread of Jainism in Karnataka

• History: In the 3rd century BC. Acharya Bhadrabahu predicted a twelve-year-long famine in north India and led the migration of Jain sangha to the south. The Jain Sangha halted at Chandragiri Hill in Shravanabelagola.
  • He was accompanied by his disciple Chandragupta Maurya.
• Spread of Religion: Realizing that Bhadrabahu was nearing the end of his life, he instructed his disciples to spread the religion and he undertook sallekhana at Chandragiri.
  • Sallekhana refers to the religious voluntary practice of fasting to death by reducing the quantity of diet. 
• Chandragupta Maurya: He continued to live on this hill worshiping the footprints of his teacher and later he too took Sallekhana.
• Famous Location: Jain Basadi complex, Halebidu Temples and Jain temples in Belgaum.

Source: The Hindu