Description
A large cream-coloured figure sits on a throne in a multi-domed temple structure, two flags flying from two of the domes. Sitting in the lotus posture of meditation, he wears an intricate headdress and jewellery. There are lamps on his left and right while above his head is a kind of double-ended lotus stalk, which is an ornament and probable symbol of purity.
He is flanked by a male figure on the left and a female figure on the right, each standing under a bell. The man has hands folded in a gesture of homage and respect.
Below are three men talking to each other. On each side of them are flights of steps, indicating they are outside the temple. This outdoor scene also shows the sky and trees behind the domes.
Thus this lively painting features two scenes in one, namely the:
- interior of a temple
- landscape surrounding the temple, depicted through the sky and trees.
Inside the main cella of the temple a Jina is enthroned, and being worshipped. This Jina cannot be identified for sure, in the absence of any identifying emblem. His identification as Śāntinātha or Lord Śānti, the 16th Jina, cannot be more than a guess. The throne is where the emblem is usually found but here it is only decorated.
The figures on the Jina’s left and right sides are lay devotees worshipping him. It is the custom in India that men gather on one side of the temple and women on the other. The small bells above them are used in ceremonies of worship, when devotees strike them with their hands.
The costumes of the three men below suggest that they are wealthy men in society, probably businessmen. They meet and talk before entering the temple.
The painter does not use perspective, but does represent the journey through the landscape to the temple and then inside. The temple court, where the men are, is presented first, followed by the interior of the temple.
Other visual elements
This is a full-page painting. The elaborate floral border of the picture underscores the decorative nature of the image.
Twenty Jinas