The Aluara Bronzes or Aluara Hoard represent a rare and important set of Jain images found in Aluara near
Dhanbad
Dhanbad is the second-most populated city in the Indian state of Jharkhand after Jamshedpur and a major financial hub of Jharkhand. In terms of economy, Dhanbad has the largest economy in the state of Jharkhand and it is often referred to as th ...
region of
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
, in Eastern India.
History
These bronze images dedicated to
Jain tirthankara
In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...
s that dates back to 11th century. They are currently kept in
Patna Museum
Patna Museum is the state museum of the Indian state of Bihar. Founded on 3 April 1917 during the British Raj to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna, it is constructed in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture, a ...
for preservation.
Major Idols
The idol of
Kunthunatha
Kunthunath was the seventeenth Tirthankara, sixth Chakravartin and twelfth Kamadeva of the present half time cycle, Avasarpini. According to Jain beliefs, he became a siddha, liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma. Kunthunatha ...
, the 17th tirthankara was found in
padmasan
Lotus position or Padmasana () is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha yoga, and is widely used for meditation in Hind ...
posture with symbol of ''goat'' punched into the ''simhasan'' (pedestal).
The image of
Ambika, the protector goddess of the 22nd tirthankara,
Neminatha
Neminātha (Devanagari: नेमिनाथ) (Sanskrit: नेमिनाथः), also known as Nemi and Ariṣṭanemi (Devanagari: अरिष्टनेमि), is the twenty-second tirthankara of Jainism in the present age (). Nemina ...
, standing in ''
tri-bhanga'' posture with her two sons and lion mount.
Other well-known hoards of Jain bronzes include
Akota Bronzes
The Akota Bronzes represent a rare and important set of 68 Jain images, dating to between the 6th and 12th centuries AD, which were found in the vicinity of Akota near Baroda in the Indian state of Gujarat. It includes rare Gupta period bronz ...
, found in Gujarat;
Vasantgarh hoard
The Vasantgarh hoard contains 240 Jain bronze idols discovered in Vasantgarh, located in the Sirohi District of Rajasthan, India, and dating back to early Medieval India.
Description
In 1956, 240 bronze idols were found dating back to early M ...
, found in
Vasantgarh
Vasa is a village in Sirohi District in Rajasthan state in India. It is 9 km from Swarupganj and 25 km from Abu Road and also known as Vasantpur or Vasantgarh. Vasa also has got a temple Laxminarayan Mandir whose foundation stone w ...
;
Hansi hoard
The Hansi hoard is a collection of 58 bronze images of Jain Tirthankaras that were accidentally discovered by children on January 19, 1982. The Archaeological Survey of India excavated the entire hoard, which was located in Hansi, in the Hisar ...
, found in Haryana; and
Chausa hoard
The Chausa hoard is a collection of ancient Jain bronzes. It is named after the location of the discovery: Chausa (also known as Chausagarh), which is located in the Buxar district of Bihar state, India.
History
The Chausa hoard was the fir ...
, found in Bihar.
See also
*
Vasantgarh hoard
The Vasantgarh hoard contains 240 Jain bronze idols discovered in Vasantgarh, located in the Sirohi District of Rajasthan, India, and dating back to early Medieval India.
Description
In 1956, 240 bronze idols were found dating back to early M ...
*
Akota Bronzes
The Akota Bronzes represent a rare and important set of 68 Jain images, dating to between the 6th and 12th centuries AD, which were found in the vicinity of Akota near Baroda in the Indian state of Gujarat. It includes rare Gupta period bronz ...
*
Chausa hoard
The Chausa hoard is a collection of ancient Jain bronzes. It is named after the location of the discovery: Chausa (also known as Chausagarh), which is located in the Buxar district of Bihar state, India.
History
The Chausa hoard was the fir ...
*
Hansi hoard
The Hansi hoard is a collection of 58 bronze images of Jain Tirthankaras that were accidentally discovered by children on January 19, 1982. The Archaeological Survey of India excavated the entire hoard, which was located in Hansi, in the Hisar ...
*
Lohanipur torso
References
Citation
Sources
*
*
Sculptures in India
Jain sculptures
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