Pawagiri Jain temple

Pawagiri Jain temple
ग्वालेश्वर मंदिर
Gvaleshwar temple
Gvaleshwar temple
Pawagiri Jain temple is located in Madhya Pradesh
Pawagiri Jain temple
Location within Madhya Pradesh
Religion
AffiliationJainism
SectDigambara
DeityShantinatha
FestivalMahavir Jayanti
Location
LocationOon village, Khargone, Madhya Pradesh
Coordinates21°49′14.2″N 75°27′15″E / 21.820611°N 75.45417°E / 21.820611; 75.45417
Architecture
StyleNagara architecture
Established13th century

Pawagiri Jain Temple or Gvaleshwar temple is a Jain temple located in Oon village, Khargone district in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

History

The temple was constructed by Jain merchants who migrated from Malwa following the annexation of King Kumarapala of Chaulukya dynasty in 1150 CE. The triratha pedestal of the Tirthankara idol inside the temple bears an inscription dated 1263 CE (V.S. 1321).[1] The temple belongs to the important group of medieval monuments at Oon (also spelled Un), which includes both Hindu and Jain temples. Akhikari's study of the chronology of the temples at Oon uses architectural and inscriptional evidence to place the Jain monuments within the later phase of temple construction at the site.[2]

The dated Jain inscriptions are particularly important for establishing the chronology of the religious complex. An inscription associated with the pedestal of a Tirthankara image is dated V.S. 1321 (1263 CE), providing a secure 13th-century date for Jain activity at the temple.[1] A separate inscription associated with the monumental image of Shantinatha has been dated to 1206 CE.[3] The two dates therefore document Jain religious activity at Oon during the 13th century rather than representing alternative dates for the same inscription.

Description

The temple plan is similar to Chaubara Dera 2, another nearby Jain temple. The temple features a square maṇḍapa with four doors, three lead to outside and one leads to garbhagriha of the temple.[4][5] The square mandapa and its four entrances distinguish the plan of the temple, while the sanctuary is approached through one of these openings. The comparison with the nearby Chaubara Dera 2 places the monument within the broader architectural development of the medieval temple group at Oon.[4]

The temple is a siddha kshetras, site of moksha (liberation) for Jain monks. The temple is called Gvaleshwar as gvālas (cow herders) used to take shelter here during storms.[4][6] The designation "Gvaleshwar" is therefore associated with a local tradition concerning cowherds rather than with the identity of the principal Tirthankara image.[6] The main vedi enshrines three polished black coloured idols and the central idol is the mulnayak of the temple.[7] The mulnayak is a 12.5 feet (3.8 m) idol tall of Shantinatha that bears an inscription dated 1206 CE.[3] The monumental Shantinatha is thus one of the principal surviving medieval Jain sculptures at Oon. Its inscription provides important evidence for dating Jain patronage at the site.[3]

This temple is protected by Archaeological Survey of India.[5]

Architecture

Pawagiri Jain temple belongs to the Nagara tradition of north Indian temple architecture. Its plan consists of a sanctuary connected to a square mandapa, the latter having four doorways.[4][5] The temple's plan has been compared with that of Chaubara Dera 2, another monument at Oon, indicating architectural relationships between the Jain and other medieval temples of the settlement.[4] The surviving sculptural programme is dominated by the large black stone image of Shantinatha in the sanctuary. Together with the other polished Jina images on the principal vedi, it forms the main devotional focus of the temple.[7]

Inscriptions

At least two dated inscriptional references are associated with the Jain remains at Pawagiri. An inscription on the triratha pedestal of a Tirthankara image bears the date V.S. 1321, corresponding to 1263 CE.[1] The monumental 12.5-foot (3.8 m) image of Shantinatha is associated with another inscription dated 1206 CE.[3] These dated records provide a chronological framework for Jain activity at Oon during the 13th century and are particularly valuable because the surviving temple complex contains structures and sculptures belonging to different phases.

Religious significance

Pawagiri is regarded in the Digambara Jain tradition as a Siddha Kshetras, a place associated with the attainment of liberation by Jain ascetics.[4] The principal object of worship is the monumental image of Shantinatha. The presence of three polished black Jina images on the principal vedi reflects the continuing Jain religious use of the medieval monument.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Akhikari 2004, p. 1201.
  2. ↑ Akhikari 2004, pp. 1197–1202.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mishra 1973, pp. 149–150.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jain 1972, p. 442.
  5. 1 2 3 ASI.
  6. 1 2 District Administration.
  7. 1 2 3 Titze & Bruhn 1998, p. 134.

Books

  • Jain, Kailash Chand (1972). Malwa Through the Ages, from the Earliest Times to 1305 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.
  • Mishra, Vibhuti Bushan (1973). Religious Beliefs and Practices of North India during the Early Mediaeval Period. Handbook of Oriental Studies. Vol. 3. Netherland: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-03610-9.
  • Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998). Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6.

Web

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Pawagiri Jain Temple, Un at Wikimedia Commons

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