Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c75.s2.20

v2.c75.s2.20

**Origin of Jain Images**—As for the secular enjoyment and the cherishment of the memory of our dear and beloved ones, the pictorial images—the paintings have served an age-long tradition, similarly the growing idea of an image of a god or prophet a religious teacher or saint is to remind a believer of his life and deeds and to inspire him for the virtuous acts. This applies to all image-or relic-worship Hence the adherants and the followers install image in the sacred places associated with their lives and deeds. These places thus become the places of pilgrimage and sacred sites of hallowed memory, dedicated adoration and pious liberality and severe asceticism. This was also true to the origin of Jain images. When their Jinas departed, their statues were set up in a temple for daily and congregational worship. In the worship of the Jinas, a notable feature is the recitation of Kalyāṇakas or the auspicious moments in the life of the great ones from the body of the Jain Kalpasūtra. The great antiquity of this custom itself proves the relatively great antiquity of Jain images. In Jain iconography, besides these Tīrthankaras, as we have seen that many Brahmanical divinities were silently assimilated into the Jain pantheon. It was perhaps due to the ideas of auspiciousness, prosperity, wealth, kingly splendour or so on, very much associated with Brahmanical deities like Gaṇeśa Śrī, Kubera and Indra that they too found a direct outlet in the Jain Sculptor's art. All these images are fully represented in the Jain sculptural heritage as scattered throughout India specially at those places which are intimately connected with Jainism.