Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/24

JAINA ARCHITECTURE. BOOK V. Altogether the Jains form a small section of the population of India, according to the last census, numbering about 1,334,000 or scarcely I in 221 of the whole population. 1 They are by far more numerous in western India and Rajputana than elsewhere ; thus in Rajputana there are 111,600 of the Digambara division, and fully twice as many vSvetambaras ; whereas in Mysore where the Digambaras outnumber the others by 6 to I, they only count 11,700, and, whilst numerically fewer, they are equally less influential than their co-religionists farther north. 2 The proper objects of worship are the twenty-four Jinas or Tirthankaras, but, like the Buddhists, they allow the existence of Hindu gods, and have admitted into their sculptures at least such of them as are connected with the tales of their saints among which are Indra or vSakra, Garuda, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Apsarasas, etc., forming a pantheon of their own, divided into four classes Bhavan- adhipatis, Vyantaras, Jyotishkas, and Vaimanikas. 3 The Tirthankaras are each recognisable by a cognizance or chihna, usually placed below the image ; and they are sometimes represented as of different colours or complexions : thus the first five are of yellow or golden colour, as are also the yth, loth and i ith, I3th to i8th, 2ist and 24th ; the 6th and I2th are red ; the 8th and gth, white or fair ; the igth and 23rd are blue ; and the 2Oth and 22nd, black. Each has his own sacred tree, and is attended by a male and female Yaksha or spirit, usually represented on the right and left ends of the dsana or throne of the image, whilst a third attendant is carved on the centre of it. The Tirthankaras with their distinctive signs, etc., are given in the following table : 1 The following statement, from the census returns of 1901, will indicate the distribution of the Jains : In Bombay Presidency, Baroda and smaller states 584,240 Rajputana including Ajmir . 362,517 Panjab . . . 50,020 United Provinces and Oudh . 84,582 Central India . . . 112,998 Central Provinces and Berar . 67,822 Haidarabid . . . 20,345 Mysore and Coorg . . 13*709 Madras Presidency . . 27,437 Bengal, As&m, Kashmir, etc. . 10,478 Total Jaina population 1,334,148 2 The Digambaras seem to have migrated to the south, owing to a severe famine in Hindustan, somewhere about 50 B.C. perhaps under the leadership of the later Bhadrabahu. 'Indian Antiquary,' vol. xx. pp. 35of; and xxi. pp. I59f. 3 Appendix to Biihler's ' Indian Sect of the Jainas,' English translation, pp. 61 et seqq.