Jainism in Orissa

Summary

The Orissa article traces Jainism back to Parsvanatha and even earlier Tirthankaras. Legendary accounts say that Aranatha received alms in Rayapura (identified with Rajapura), while later texts recount Parsvanatha’s visits to Tamralipta and Kopakataka in Kalingahttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=JAINISM%20IN%20ORISSA%20The%20history,The. Bhavadeva Suri’s Pārsvanāthacarita tells how Parsvanatha married Prabhavatī after rescuing her from the Kalinga Yavana; an abduction scene in the Rani Gumpha cave art may depict thishttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=P%C4%81rsvan%C4%81thacarita%20of%20Sri%20Bhavadeva%20Suri,pattana%20in%20the%20country%20of. Other Jaina works such as Citrāsena‑Padmāvatī‑carita and Kārakanducariu mention Kalinga’s kings adopting Jainismhttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=Kalinga,spiritual%20life%20of%20the%20country. The Uttarādhyayana Sūtra notes that Kalinga’s rulers and other contemporary kings accepted the Jain faith after abdicationhttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=describe%20him%20as%20ruling%20over,All%20these%20indicate. The article highlights Mahavira’s visit to Tosali and Pithunda and states that he preached in Kumāri hill; sculptures of lions at Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves support this traditionhttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014. During the Nanda period, the Kalinga Jina image was taken to Magadha as a trophy; later, Emperor Ashoka expressed remorse for causing suffering to Kalinga’s brahmanas and śramaṇas and banned animal slaughterhttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014. Ashoka’s grandson Sampriti, known as the Jaina Ashoka, actively promoted Jainism and listed Kalinga among the 25 regions suitable for Jaina preachershttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=by%20the%20brahmanas%20and%20%C5%9Brama%E1%B9%87as,wandering%20of%20the%20Jaina%20preachers. The golden age of Jainism in Orissa occurred under Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana dynasty; the Hāthigumpha inscription records his achievements and the construction of monuments, though scholars disagree on his precise datehttps://jainqq.org/booktext/Jain_Journal_1969_04/520014#:~:text=The%20golden%20age%20of%20Jainism,placed%20in%20the%20fourth%2C%20third.