Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c7.5

c7.5

Śrī Jinadatta Sūri, who is represented on the panel, is a well known teacher of the Jain Śvetāmbara community. He was born in Vikarama Samvat 1132 (1075 A.D.), was initiated as a Śvetāmbara monk in Samvat 1141 (1084 A.D.), and rose to become an Āchārya at Chitrakūṭa (modern Chittor) in V. S. 1169 (1112 A.D.). He died at Ajmer in V.S. 1211 (1154 A.D.), in the reign of Chāhmāna Viśaladeva. During his lifetime, he made constant tours of Gujarāt, Mārwār, Mewār, Bāgāda and Sindh. At Vikrampur, in Mārwār, he consecrated an image of Mahāvīra in the temple built by the banker Devabhadra. Śrī Jinavijayajī is of the opinion² that the scene of the Jina temple represented in the panel mentioned above, probably represents the consecration ceremony of the above temple, because, in the temple depicted in the panel, the image is that of Mahāvīra, and on the sthāpanāchārya, in front of the Sūri, is also inscribed the name of Mahāvīra. It is possible that Devabhadra, at this occasion, presented the Sūri with some manuscript, of which this panel formed as a cover, and, to commemorate the occasion, it was painted with the scene of the consecration in which the Sūri played an important part.