The Akota Bronzes represent a rare and important set of 68

Jain 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 ...

images, dating to between the 6th and 12th centuries AD, which were found in the vicinity of

Akota Akota is an urban area in the western side of Vadodara City, in the state of Gujarat, in India. Earlier it was known as "Anakotakka", as mentioned in one of the Akota Bronzes. The suburb is located on the banks of river Vishwamitri Ori ...

near

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capi ...

in the Indian state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...

. It includes rare

Gupta period The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Go ...

bronzes that have been widely used for comparison of Gupta period art. Akota (formerly Ankottaka) was a major centre of

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 ...

in the 5th century AD and is mentioned in texts. The hoard provides information on metallic art and development of metal technology during

Gupta Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by se ...

, post-Gupta and medieval period.

Discovery

The images were dug out sometime before June 1951. A University of Baroda professor brought five of them to archaeologist U.P. Shah for examination.

Umakant Premanand Shah Umakant Premanand Shah is a scholar from India. Life Umakant was born in Baroda on 20 March 1915. He completed his doctoral thesis on 'Elements of Jaina Art'. He became the deputy director of Oriental Institute, Baroda in 1954. He became the ...

eventually purchased most of the images from local individuals and presented them to M.S. University, which are now in the Baroda Museum. Only two of the images are dated. U.P. Shah dated the rest of them on palaeographic basis. They range from the 5th to 12th centuries. They may have belonged to the Vasatika of Arya Rath established in Kshatrapa era. None of the images date after 1100 AD, suggesting that they were buried for safeguarding broke the invasion of Gujarat by Alap Khan, a general of Alauddin Khalji.

Major images

Two images of Jivantasvami, (representation of

Mahavira Mahavira (Sanskrit: महावीर) also known as Vardhaman, was the 24th ''tirthankara'' (supreme preacher) of Jainism. He was the spiritual successor of the 23rd ''tirthankara'' Parshvanatha. Mahavira was born in the early part of the 6t ...

who was still a prince), are widely mentioned examples of the early western Indian school of art. One of them is specifically inscribed as jivantsvami installed by Nagisvari, which represents early phase of the Gupta style. Two images of

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English language, English: literally a 'Ford (crossing), ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the ...

(one of

Parsvanatha ''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of Dharma (Jainism), dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavr ...

) are from the post-Gupta period. An image inscribed as donated by Sadhu Sarvadeva include eight standing figures representing the eight planets, on both sides of the

dharmachakra The dharmachakra (Sanskrit: धर्मचक्र; Pali: ''dhammacakka'') or wheel of dharma is a widespread symbol used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and especially Buddhism.John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel, ''The Circle o ...

. Notable images of

Ambika Ambika may refer to: Mythology * Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti * Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess * Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, th ...

on lion and standing

Sarasvati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a ...

are from the same period. A Chamardharini(Chaurie Bearer) stands in

tribhanga Tribhaṅga or Tribunga is a standing body position or stance used in traditional Indian art and Indian classical dance forms like the Odissi, where the body bends in one direction at the knees, the other direction at the hips and then the other ...

pose on a carefully carved

lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

pedestal. It represents a western India school during the

Chaulukya The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...

period between the 11th and 12th centuries. Earliest image 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 c ...

with

Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

and

Yakshini ''Yakshinis'' or ''yakshis'' (यक्षिणी sa, yakṣiṇī or ''yakṣī''; pi, yakkhiṇī or ''yakkhī'') are a class of female nature spirits in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religious mythologies that are different from devas a ...

was found in Akota.

Inscriptions

The inscriptions mention these monastic lineages * Nivrati Kula * Chandra Kula * Vidyadhara Kula * Nagendra Kula * Gohadra Kula Modern Jnatis of shravakas are not mentioned, with the exception of a late image of about AD 1000 which mentions

Modh Modh is an Indian caste. Its members are people who use the name and originate from Modhera in Gujarat. Culture In that state and in Rajasthan, Lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh created Brahmins who were masters in Vedas, so that they can ...

Gachchha. However an earlier image datable to AD 600–650 refers to a sadhu (shravaka) from (nirgata) Kaserahadra. Two of the images refer to goshthikas (guild members) of weavers (salapati).

Significance

The Akota bronzes are of considerable artistic and historical significance. * The inscriptions attest the earliest use of title "Sadhu" (shahu or Shah) by the lay Jains. * The tradition of legendary wooden Jivantasvami image is attested by the image of about 550 AD. specifically inscribed as Jivantasvami. It is regarded to be the first clothed Jain image. It was installed shortly after the

Valabhi Vallabhi (or Valabhi or Valabhipur, modern Vala; Devanāgarī: वल्लभी) is an ancient city located in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, near Bhavnagar in western India. It is also known as Vallabhipura and was the capital of the S ...

vachana presided by Devardhi Gani Kshamashramana in AD 453.An Epitome of Jainism : Being a Critical Study of Its Metaphysics, Ethics, and History and Culture in Relation to Modern Thought Puran Chand Nahar, 1917, p. 656 *

Jinabhadra Gani Kshamashramana Jinabhadra or Vachanacharya Jinabhadragani Kshamashramana was Jain ascetic author of Prakrit and Sanskrit texts. Life Jinabhadra (520-623 AD) was a Svetambara Jain monk during sixth-seventh century CE. Not much is known about his life but i ...

, is mentioned in the installer of the Rishbhanath image, who wrote the Visheshavashyaka Bhashya.

Museums

Most of the Akota bronzes are in the

Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery The Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery in Vadodara was built in 1894 on the lines of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum of London. Major Mant in association with R.F. Chisholm who refined some of Mant's finest works to make ge ...

. There are examples in the

National Museum, New Delhi The National Museum in New Delhi, also known as the National Museum of India, is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds a variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under t ...

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 100 ...

(New York), and

Honolulu Academy of Arts The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) is an art museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. The museum is the largest of its kind in the state, and was founded in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke. The museum has one of the largest single co ...

References

Citation

Sources

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External links

Iconography of Early Jainism (Part 3)- Fig. 18. (right) Jivantasvamin, metal image of the Svetambaras, Akota hoard.

Enthroned Jina, probably Neminatha, late 7th century, India (Gukarat, Akota)
{{Jainism Topics Indian sculpture Treasure troves of India Jain sculptures Gupta art Vadodara district Sculptures in India