શત્રુંજયગિરિના કેટલાક અપ્રકટ પ્રતિમાલેખો

Summary

The essay “Unpublished inscriptions of Shankheshwar idols” compiles and analyses previously unrecorded epigraphs from the Jain pilgrimage site of Shankheshwar in Gujarat. Madhusudan Gandhi notes that although the temple is well known, many inscriptions on its smaller images and fragments have not been systematically published. He transcribes and comments on more than thirty inscriptions, providing details of script, language and historical context. The inscriptions, carved on metal or stone pedestals, date from the eleventh to the eighteenth centuries and are written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or old Gujarati. They record the names of donors, monks who supervised consecrations and dates in the Vikram Samvat era. Gandhi arranges the material chronologically and highlights patterns: early inscriptions indicate Solanki‑era renovations, whereas later ones show increased patronage by merchant communities. The article also examines variations in orthography and formula, suggesting evolving conventions in Jain epigraphy. To contextualise the inscriptions, Gandhi constructs genealogical charts linking the names of monks to known lineages. He correlates the dates with events recorded in Jain chronicles and concludes that Shankheshwar experienced a revival during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The essay discusses the stylistic differences of the inscribed images and argues that these correspond to shifts in artistic taste. By meticulously documenting these epigraphs and situating them within broader religious and historical narratives, Gandhi fills a gap in the corpus of Jain inscriptions and provides a valuable resource for historians and art historians.