942 Description of a Colossal Jain figure [Sept. 



21st and last whose absolute height is given by Mr. Colebrooke, viz. 5 

 poles, we may suppose Mahavira to be within bounds, and have another 

 ground for ascribing the rock image to him. We know that Maha- 

 vira's apotheosis took place at Pawapuri, in Behar, but the Jains 

 worship as well the places where their Iswarahs were begotten and 

 born, where they resigned worldly, pleasures and began to meditate, 

 as well as where they obtained Nirvana, though I am not aware that 

 any of them took place in the district of Burwanie. A closer study 

 of the figures and emblems, and digging round the pedestals and feet 

 of the statues where the chief events of the Deva's life are usually 

 represented, will, I dare say, elicit more accurate information, and an 

 enquiry made into the records of the town of Burwanie, and conversa- 

 tion with the Jain devotees at the period of their tirtha, would doubtless 

 assist materially and lead to much more certain dates than a cursory 

 visit of a few hours. I am however much afraid that we shall light 

 upon no very remote date, either for the figure or the temple, for 

 although on the authority of the Yappa Jaina Patavali (Trans. A. S. 

 Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 3), written by Calca Acharya, A. D* 

 415, Jain temples were first built in the year 882, after Virat, i. e. A. D. 

 313, during the spiritual government of Mandeva Surie, I have not yet 

 (with the exception of the temple of Kurswanear Katah, whose date is 

 given by Colonel Todd unmistakably S. 597) seen an inscription of ear- 

 lier date than the 12th Century. The xibu temples, reckoned the most 

 ancient, have then 1,100 and 1,400, and almost all those in Behar, at 

 Nakkaun, Pari and Calurpur near Champanagar, have them respectively 

 somewhat 16/6, 1605, 1694 ; and the temples of Woom in Nimara, 

 date 1192, 1203, and 1243, 1263. In Bajpootana they are about 

 the same age — Nadole some with 1208, Jabrapatan 1103, Kuraira 

 1400, Cheetore 1449. We thus bring the most flourishing era of 

 Jainism in respect to architecture, to the 11 and 12 centuries, and this 

 tallies precisely with Professor t Wilson's opinion ; he says the Jain 

 faith was introduced in the Peninsula 7th century, A. D., its course 

 south was stopped at an earlier period, but it extended itself to the 

 west and centre of India, and enjoyed some consideration in the 10 

 and 1 1 centuries. , ' We must of course take this as its resuscitation 

 or revival after the obscurity into which it was thrown by its rival 

 creed, Buddhism, and which lasted nearly 1,000 years. Professor 



