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''Kankali Tila'' (also Kankali mound or Jaini mound) is a
mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher ...
located at
Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the to ...
in the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
. The name of the mound is derived from a modern temple of Hindu goddess Kankali. The famous Jain
stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as '' śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circuma ...
was excavated here in 1890-91 by
Alois Anton Führer Alois Anton Führer (26 November 1853 – 5 November 1930) was a German indologist who worked for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). He is known for his archaeological excavations, which he believed proved that Gautama Buddha was born ...
(Dr. Führer). The mound almost rectangular in shape is 500 feet long by 350 feet broad. ''Kankali Tila'' brought forth many treasures of
Jain art Jain art refers to religious works of art associated with Jainism. Even though Jainism has spread only in some parts of India, it has made a significant contribution to Indian art and architecture. In general Jain art broadly follows the conte ...
. The archaeological findings testifies the existence of two
Jain temple A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings gen ...
s and '' stupas''. Numerous Jain sculptures, ''Ayagapattas'' (tablet of homage), pillars, crossbeams and lintels were found during archaeological excavations. Some of the sculptures are provided with inscriptions that report on the contemporary society and organization of the Jain community. Most sculptures could be dated from the 2nd century BC to the 12th century CE, thus representing a continuous period of about 14 centuries during which Jainism flourished at Mathura. These sculptures are now housed in the Lucknow State Museum and in the
Mathura Museum __NOTOC__ Government Museum, Mathura, commonly referred to as Mathura museum, is an archaeological museum in Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh state in India. The museum was founded by then collector of the Mathura district, Sir F. S. Growse i ...
.


Excavation

Alexander Cunningham Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly ...
worked at the western end in March and November 1871. The objects found by Mr. Cunningham were all Jain, with the exception of one ten-armed Brahmanical figure. Mr. Growse operated on the northern portion in 1875. In Volume XVII of the "Reports" (page 111), Mr. Cunningham noted that in the season of 1881-82 he dug up many Jain figures, including one inscribed with the name of Vardhamana, the last of the 24 Jain ''
Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passa ...
''. Dr. Burgess and Dr. Fuhrer extended the excavations to the eastern end at different times from 1887 to 1896. Mr. Harding, a predecessor of Mr. Growse as Magistrate of Mathura, also made some excavations. The excavations at Kankali Tila acted as a testimony to the claims made by Jains regarding the great antiquity of their religion. Images of
Neminatha Neminatha, also known as Nemi and Arishtanemi, is the twenty-second ''tirthankara'' (ford-maker) in Jainism. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanatha and Rishabhanatha, Neminatha is one of the twenty four ''tirthankaras'' who attract the most devo ...
found in Kankali Tila dating back to Kushan period depicts him as a cousin of
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
and
Balarama Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Bala ...
.


Significance

The sculptures and the inscriptions found at Kankali Tila suggest that in that period a clear Digambar-Shwetabar division had not risen. The Tirthankar images are all unclothed and monks are represented as not wearing a loincloth, but with cloth on one forearm. The names of divisions of the monastic orders match exactly with those given in the Kalpasutra.


Gallery

1st Jain Tirthankara Rishabhanatha - Circa 8th Century CE - Barsana - ACCN 18-1504 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5082.JPG, 1st Jain Tirthankara Rishabhanathaswami (Circa 8th Century CE) Barsana Government Museum Mathura Mahaveer.jpg, A quadruple Jain Image Four Fold Jain Image with Suparshvanath and Three Other Tirthankaras - Circa 1st Century CE - ACCN 00-B-67 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6023.JPG, Quadruple Jain Image, excavated from Kankali Tila, c. 1st century CE Jain Tablet Homage Set-up by Vasu the Daughter of Courtesan Lavana Sobhika - Circa 1st Century CE - Kankali Mound - ACCN 00-Q-7 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 5988.JPG, Jain Tablet Homage Set-up by Vasu the daughter of Courtesan Lavana Sobhika - Circa 1st Century CE - Kankali Mound (ACCN 00-Q-7 - Government Museum, Mathura) Jain Tablet Homage Set-up by Vasu the Daughter of Courtesan Lavana Sobhika - Circa 1st Century CE - Kankali Mound - ACCN 00-Q-7 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 5989.JPG, Description of the tablet Zina in Meditation - Kushan Period - ACCN 00-863 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 5978.JPG, Jina in meditation Rishabhanatha - First Jain Tirthankara - Circa 5th Century CE - Kankali Mound - ACCN 00-B-6 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5402.JPG, Idol of
Rishabhanatha Rishabhanatha, also ( sa, ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku is the first (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain co ...
, first Jain Tirthankara, excavated from Kankali Mound (Government Museum - Mathura) File:Quadruple Jain Images.jpg, Three Quadruple images of Tirthankar excavated from Kankali Tila, c. 42 BCE(V.S. 15) File:Jain images (Kankali Tila).jpg, Images of Tirthankar Mahavira excavated from Kankali Tila File:Colossal Head of Jina - Gupta Period - Kankali Mound - ACCN 00-B-61 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5454.JPG, Colossal Head of Jineshvara (Gupta Period) Jain Images and Stupa - Bronze - Modern Period - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6582.JPG, Jain Images and Stupa - Bronze - Modern Period. Government Museum Mathura Jain Tirthankar Parshwanath - 1014 CE - Kagarol - ACCN 40-2874 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5075.JPG, Tirthankar Lord Parshwanatha (1014 CE) Kagarol Government Museum Mathura Jain Tirthankara Naminath - Circa 12th Century CE - ACCN 00-B-77 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5080.JPG, Jain Tirthankara Lord Naminatha - (Circa 12th Century CE) ACCN 00-B-77. Government Museum Mathura Jain Tirthankara Parsvanatha - Post Gupta Period - Kosi Kalan - ACCN 18-1505 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5407.JPG, Tirthankara Lord Parsvanatha (Post Gupta Period) - Kosi Kalan ACCN 18-1505 Government Museum Mathura Jain Tirthankara Neminath - Circa 12th Century CE - ACCN 00-B-77 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5079.jpg, Tirthankara Lord Neminatha (Circa 12th Century CE) ACCN 00-B-77 Government Museum Mathura Tirthankara Head - Kushan Period - ACCN 18-1536 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6040.JPG, File:Jain votive plaque.jpg, Jain votive plaque (c. 200 CE) File:Kankali Tila inscription of Kanishka Year 5 and Year 7.jpg, Kankali Tila inscription of
Kanishka Kanishka I (Sanskrit: कनिष्क, '; Greco-Bactrian: Κανηϸκε ''Kanēške''; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐 '; Brahmi: '), or Kanishka, was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign (c. 127–150 CE) the empire r ...
, Year 5 and 7 Pillars Kankali Tila.jpg, Pillars Ambika - Mediaeval Period - ACCN 00-D-7 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5409.JPG, Jain Yakshini Ambika (Mediaeval Period) Government Museum Mathura File:Jain Goddess Chakreshwari - Kankali Mound - Circa 10th Century CE - ACCN 00-D-6 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-23 5387.JPG, Jain Yakshini Chakreshvari devi File:Jain statue dated Samvat 1134 (1077 CE), Kankali Tila, Mathura.jpg, Jain statue inscribed Samvat 1134 (1077 CE), about 60 years after the sack of Mathura by Mahmud of Ghazni. Kankali Tila, Mathura.


See also

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Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...


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* * * * {{coord, 27.491389, N, 77.673889, E, display=title Jain architecture Mathura Mathura art