South Indian Jaina Sculptures in the National Museum, New Delhi

Summary

In this article B. N. Sharma examines a collection of south Indian Jain sculptures housed in the National Museum, New Delhi, and discusses their importance for understanding the regional development of Jain art. Sharma begins by noting that Jainism has made major contributions to Indian art and philosophy and that Jain temples throughout India are decorated with magnificent images of the Tīrthaṅkaras. The earliest surviving Jain sculptures, he explains, date to the Maurya, Śuṅga and Kushana periods, but this essay focuses on pieces from the southern regions of India produced between the Pallava period (7th–8th century A.D.) and the Vijayanagar period (16th century). A key characteristic of the south Indian images is that they are carved in hard granite rather than softer sandstone; their figures stand stiffly in kāyotsarga posture or sit cross‑legged in dhyāna mudrā and lack the śrīvatsa chest mark typical of northern sculptures. Sharma provides detailed descriptions of several images and their stylistic features. The first is a badly defaced seated Tīrthaṅkara from the Pallava period, followed by a prabhā (a decorated halo) of a Tīrthaṅkara that illustrates late Coḷa florid ornamentation. Next he examines seated Tīrthaṅkaras from the 14th–15th century Coḷa period, noting their double‑lotus pedestals, high triple umbrellas and attendant figures. Images from the Vijayanagar period are more stylised; some have disproportionate bodies yet display fine jewellery and elaborate prabhās. The article also describes bronze figures of Pārśvanātha and highlights the differences between south and north Indian Jain iconography: the absence of śrīvatsa, variations in the treatment of attendant deities and increased emphasis on prabhā ornamentation. Sharma argues that these sculptures reveal a continuous artistic tradition in south India that adapted the canonical Jain iconography to local tastes while maintaining essential features such as the kāyotsarga posture. He concludes that a fuller understanding of Jain art requires comparing these southern examples with those from other regions and encourages scholars to study the National Museum’s collection in conjunction with material from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.