The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
At first glance, it appears to be just another Jain temple -
Which goes to show how deceptive first appearances can be! Because the
Bhandasar Jain temple is one of the most stunning temples I have ever seen!
If the outside is simple, the inside is exquisite. Every inch is
covered with paintings, depicting the Jain Tirthankars, stories from Jain
mythology, as well as fasts and vows undertaken by prominent Jains from the
community.
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| A section of the pillars and ceilings, covered with paintings |
One panel, for example, tells us of a vrat, or a vow taken by a merchant and his wife, to abstain from marital
relations for a period. The panel shows them inside their house, though in a
narrative style. On the left, they are shown seated in a chamber, taking the
vow. In the central chamber, they are shown sleeping apart, and in the chamber
on the right, they are offering worship to the Jain ascetic, having fulfilled
their vow!
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| Painting depicting the vow of abstinence, as a narrative within a house |
Another panel shows a rich man leaving aside his wealth and
becoming an ascetic.
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| A merchant, taking the vow of renunciation, seen within his house |
There are also stories from Jain mythology, such as this one
depicting Rishabhnath, the first Tirthankar, leaving his kingdom to his hundred
sons and renouncing the world.
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| Rishabhnath, the first Tirthankar, renouncing the world, and handing over his kingdom to his hundred sons. The sons are shown inside the fort, seated on thrones, while Rishabhnath is outside, having taken the vow, seen with other Jain monks and nuns |
The panels also show popular Jain pilgrim places, in great
detail, as if encouraging devotees to undertake pilgrimages to these sites.
This panel, for instance, shows the Jain temple at Sujangadh, which is on the
route to Jaipur.
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| The Jain Temple at Sujandgadh |
Another panel depicts the Samavasarana – the assembly hall of a
Jain Tirthankar. The Tirthankar sits in the centre, facing east. However, he is
shown with three faces, as if he is looking in all directions. Around him are
all those who have come to listen to his discourse, in peace. There are
ascetics, who have renounced the world, lay men and women, animals, and even
gods.
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| The Samvasarana panel. Notice the different levels, showing different people, animals and gods, around the Tirthankar. Also notice the two goddesses on the sides. |
On another level, are scenes from the life of Jain Saints,
whose names would have been familiar to the local Jain community. A series of
medallions depict scenes from the life of Jindutta Suri, one of the Jain Saints
from Gujarat, identifying certain important incidents from his life, along with those of other saints as well.
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| Events from the lives of Jain monks |
A series of panels on the beams speak of the punishments of
wrongdoing…
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| Punishments for wrong-doing |
Another series depicts all the 24 Tirthankars, with their
names…
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| Some of the Tirthankars, with their names |
These stories, side by side, on the walls and ceiling, might be
meant, to not just educate the visitors, especially those who come to worship,
about Jain myths and legends, but also encourage them to take up vows, develop
faith in the saints, understand the greatness of the Tirthankars, and
eventually renounce the world, as is traditional in Jainism.
In the sanctum is a marble image of Sumatinath, the fifth Jain
Tirthankar. Above him is a Sarvatobhadra image of the Tirthankar – four images,
facing the cardinal directions, one on each side of a central column.
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| The Sancum, housing an image of Sumatinath, with a Chaumukha or Sarvatobhadra image above |
Besides the paintings, the temple is also profusely carved, and
it was interesting to see that, just as in the Hindu temples of the period, the
outer walls of the central shrine have, in the
eight directions, figures of the the Ashta Dikpalas!
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| Kubera - one of the Ashta Dikpalas, identified by the elephant, which is his mount, and the mongoose skin purse, which is slung over his shoulder |
The temple is believed to have been built by Bhandasa Oswal,
one of the prominent Jain traders of Bikaner, even before the arrival of Rao
Bika. According to the Rajasthan Tourism board, the temple construction was
started in 1468 and completed in 1514.
However, it seems quite probable, that the Oswals would have
been traders who would have arrived with Rao Bika, and settled in the new city
he created. The proximity to the citadel built by Rao Bika also suggests that
the new Jain community would have begun construction of a temple as soon as
they arrived, with the blessings of their king.
The paintings are, of course, from a slightly later period, and
are regularly renewed, which accounts for their brightness and clarity.
One of the lasting legends of the temple is that only pure ghee
was used during the construction, instead of water! I have no idea if the
legend is true or not, but ghee is indeed poured into the pit during the first
puja before construction is begun. That the Oswals even then, were so rich as
to fill the pit with ghee, is something to think about!
Timings: The Temple is open all day.
Tips: The priest is a fount of information, and if asked, explains the paintings and the stories they convey. If he is so-inclined, he also takes you upstairs, to the roof of the temple. There are two levels above the sanctum, each with a Sarvatobhadra image, and give you a magnificent view of the surroundings.
Disclaimer: These posts are based on two trips to Bikaner – the first
one, a personal trip, and the second, when I was invited by Narendra Bhawan.
While the first was an enjoyable experience with my family, I barely spent a
day here, and while it was enough to see the sights, it was too quick to leave
an impression.
The second trip, which was on invitation from Narendra Bhawan,
filled the gaps and added a context to all that I had seen before, which
actually helped me write. While the experiences are courtesy Narendra Bhawan,
the words are, needless to say, all my own!
Its quite a sight. So many pictures and story telling.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lata. Its quite a sight... so awe inspiring.... and there are so, so many more stories....
DeleteGreat work, i must say. Even i also plan sometimes to travel these best destinations of India and one of them is Rajasthan. Will surely explore one day. Great Pictures and Appreciate your efforts.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteBeautiful artwork.
ReplyDeleteIt is, Niranjan. More beautiful than it appears in my photographs
DeleteFabulous!!
ReplyDeleteI have been to Bhadashah temple twice, after a gap of almost 6-7 years. Surprising things is that non-jain residents of Bikaner are also not aware of this temple. While Lakshminath temple which is located just behind this temple enjoys a great following, this temple is overlooked. Lovely write up.
ReplyDeleteThis is very nice temple twist .Thank you.
ReplyDelete