Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India c8.s1.t2.1

c8.s1.t2.1

It is a well-known fact that cloth was used very extensively in ancient India for painting. Even entire books were at times written on cloth. Thus a Jain Jñāna Bhaṇḍār, located in Vakhatjinīserī at Pāṭan, possesses a cloth manuscript containing the *Dharmavidhiprakaraṇa Vṛttisahita*, *Kachchhūlirāsā* and eight chapters of the *Trisha-ṣṭiśalākāpurusha-charita*.⁵ Its date is made out as Saṃvat 1408 or 1410 (A.D. 1351 or 1353) and its leaves simulate palm-leaves. There are, however, a number of *Samavasaraṇa* scenes, cosmographical charts, charts dealing with such subjects as mythical two and half islands, Jambūdvīpa, Navadvīpa, Hṛmkāra, Ghaṇṭākarṇa, various mantras and tantras, canonical subjects as the *Saṃgrahaṇīsūtra*, *Kṣetra-samāsa*, *Prāyaśchitta*, the six *sthānas* of the *Samyamaśreṇi*, sixty-two *mārgaṇas*, etc., painted on cloth and dating from the 14th to 16th century.