An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c19.s12.t3.1

v1.c19.s12.t3.1

Jaina literature abounds in references to *stūpas*, but the extant remains date only from the Kushan period. Sporadic diggings show that the Jaina establishment at Kankali-tila, MATHURA, grew up around a *stūpa* which formed the supreme object of veneration. No single monument has, however, been identified as yet. From the representations on *āyāga-paṭas* it appears that the Jaina *stūpas* were not much different from the Buddhist *stūpas* 1, 2 and 3 of Sanchi. They were without embellishments, the urge for decoration having found expression on the railings and gateways. Epigraphical evidence also points to the existence of a temple and *vihāras* for the residence of monks in the 2nd century B.C., but it is not possible to reconstruct these structures.