Pathari Jain temples

Pathari Jain temples
Pathari Jain temples
Religion
AffiliationJainism
SectDigambara
DeityTirthankars
Location
LocationPathari, Vidisha
Architecture
Established9th century
Temple25

Pathari Jain temples are a group of medieval Jain temples at Badoh, near Pathari, in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The complex consists of a large group of Jain shrines arranged around an open courtyard.[1]

The temple group forms part of the extensive archaeological remains of Badoh–Pathari, a region containing monuments associated with Jain, Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.[2]

History

The Jain temples at Badoh–Pathari are medieval structures. Archaeological investigations in the late 19th century documented a substantial group of ruined Jain temples at the site.[1] The Archaeological Survey of India documented the temples during its Western Circle survey of 1893–94. Photographs taken by archaeologist Henry Cousens during the survey preserve the condition of the temple group before later conservation work.[1]

The archaeological remains of Badoh–Pathari reflect the importance of the area during the periods of the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas and other medieval dynasties of central India.[2]

Temple complex

The complex consists of approximately 25 Jain temples. The shrines are grouped around an open courtyard. Cousens described the archaeological remains as a large group of Jain temples in varying states of preservation.[1] The original arrangement consisted of numerous cells surrounding an open courtyard, with larger temples occupying prominent positions within the complex.

Two closely positioned shikharas marked what Cousens considered to have been the principal shrines.[1] The smaller cells were predominantly flat-roofed. Some of the structures adjoining the principal shrines were two-storeyed, and Cousens suggested that additional cells may originally also have possessed an upper storey.[1]

Architecture

The temple complex combines small cellular shrines with larger temples positioned at important points around the central courtyard.[1] The principal temples are distinguished by their towered roofs, while many of the surrounding shrines have flat stone roofs. The arrangement of numerous smaller shrines around larger sanctuaries creates a compact Jain religious complex.

The temples contain numerous images of Jain Tirthankaras. The surviving iconography is principally associated with the Digambara tradition.

Sculpture

Main vedi

A substantial collection of Jain sculptures survived within the temple complex when it was documented during the 19th-century archaeological surveys. Henry Cousens recorded that a number of the cells contained numerous nude Jain images of varying dimensions, characteristic of Digambara Jain iconography.[1]

The wider Badoh–Pathari archaeological area also preserves Jain sculptural remains outside the principal temple group. Jain sculptures occur in caves on Ganjnath hill, together with sculptures belonging to other religious traditions.[3] The presence of Jain remains at both Badoh and Pathari has also been noted in scholarly studies of Jain art in Madhya Pradesh.[4]

Archaeological documentation

The temples attracted the attention of the Archaeological Survey of India during the 19th century. During the survey season of 1893–94, Henry Cousens photographed and documented the Jain temple complex. The survey produced architectural drawings of a Jain temple, pillar and doorway at Pathari and photographs of the old Jain temples.[1]

The historic photographs provide evidence for the appearance and condition of the complex before subsequent conservation and restoration. Modern archaeological research continues to treat Badoh and Pathari as a connected archaeological landscape. Archaeological remains in the twin settlements include temples, water structures, pillars, caves and sculptures belonging to several historical periods and religious traditions.[2]

Protection

The Jain temple at Badoh is a Monument of National Importance protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.[5] The centrally protected monuments of the Badoh–Pathari area also include the Gadarmal temple at Badoh and the Bhimgaja and caves at Pathari.[5]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cousens 1894, pp. 16–17.
  2. 1 2 3 Ghosh 2023.
  3. ↑ Cunningham 1880, p. 80.
  4. ↑ Shah 1955, p. 37.
  5. 1 2 ASI 2025, p. 52.

Sources

  • Archaeological Survey of India (2025). Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites (Report). Archaeological Survey of India. p. 52.
  • Cunningham, Alexander (1880). Report of a Tour in Bundelkhand and Malwa, 1871–72; and in the Central Provinces, 1873–74 (PDF). Archaeological Survey of India Reports. Government of India.
  • Cousens, Henry (1894). Progress Report of the Archaeological Survey of Western India for the Months of May 1893 to April 1894 (Report). Bombay: Government Central Press.
  • Ghosh, Srishti (2023). Findings of Badoh Pathari and Gyaraspur (PDF). SCITEPRESS.
  • Shah, Umakant Premanand. Studies in Jaina Art. Banaras: Banaras Hindu University.
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