Jaina Art of Bengal

Summary

In this essay Kalyan Kumar Ganguli examines the stylistic and architectural characteristics of Jaina art in Bengal. He notes that early Jaina sculptures from the region, dating from the 8th to 12th centuries, are carved in chlorite or black schist and typically depict Tirthankaras either seated in padmāsana or standing in kāyotsarga. The figures display slender proportions, elongated limbs and minimal surface ornamentation, conveying an ascetic, other‑worldly quality. Major Tirthankara images are framed by a prabhā‑maṇḍala (halo) and a decorated back slab often crowded with miniature figures of other Tirthankaras, flying vidyādharas, planetary deities and a tri‑tiered chatra. Ganguli highlights that although the iconographic conventions follow pan‑Indian Digambara canons, there is a subtle lyricism and grace in the modeling which distinguishes the eastern school. The essay also surveys temple architecture in Bengal. The characteristic shrine is a rekha deul—a tall, curvilinear tower with projecting rathas (paga projections), a plain vertical wall (bāḍā), moulded baranda, a beki neck and a melon‑shaped āmalaka topped by a kalasa. Ganguli analyses ground plans ranging from tri‑ratha to sapta‑ratha and notes regional variations, such as the reduced baranda projection at Charra and the baranda‑less pidha deul at Deuli. Decorative motifs are restrained; wall niches often contain small miniature temples (caitya motifs) with khurā mouldings. The author compares Bengal’s Jaina deuls with contemporaneous Hindu and Buddhist structures, pointing out similarities with the Pāla‑Sena idiom and occasional influences from central Indian temples. The article concludes by affirming that while Bengal’s Jaina art shares common iconographic themes with other regions, its sculpture and architecture reflect a distinctive aesthetic that balances spirituality with subtle ornament.