1840.] 



Note on the defaced Statues of the Jains. 



307 



cutor of the Jains — Basava^ and the other into a manufactory for 

 earthen ware. Similar evidences of this spirit are visible among the 

 ruins of Annagundi, Bejanugger, and at Courtney, in the Ceded Dis- 

 tricts. The latter, now an insignificant village, was formerly a place 

 of importance under Jaina ascendancy: one of its principal bastis is 

 occupied by the sacred feet of the Indian Mars — •C€)marswami—\mdiges 

 of the god Ganesa — the goddess Parvati — the bull and Lingum. Ano- 

 ther has been converted into a mosque by the Mahomedan followers 

 of Hyder and Tippoo, and a third forms the Math of a Jangam priest. 

 The large image of one of the TirVhankars, is seen cast outside the 

 western gate, disfigured in the usual manner, and the lower extremi- 

 ties buried in soil. The destruction and defacement of the Jaina 

 inscriptions on stone, and substitution of others in their room, are 

 much to be lamented, and I would strongly urge the Society to direct 

 its attention towards the copying of all such as still exist in various 

 parts of the peninsula, before it be too late. The rancour of the Jan- 

 gams and Brahmins towards the Jains still exists in smothered, though 

 unaltered, bitterness. The copies should be taken, if possible, by means 

 of Jaina scribes in order to avoid forgeries, alterations, or interpola- 

 tions. The indefatigable and successful exertions of Mr. Walter 

 Elliot have already gone far to place the history and chronology of 

 peninsular India, on a surer and more solid basis than hitherto, ground- 

 ed on the chronicled and unbiassed information contained in 595 in^ 

 ficriptions on stone and copper, collected in various parts of the 

 Southern Mahratta Country, Mysore, the Nizam's dominions and Sunda.* 

 It is scarcely necessary to remark how extremely valuable such infor- 

 mation is, gathered from these mile-stones of time's course ; and that a 

 wide field still remains untrodden to all who, imbued with a liberal 

 zeal for the advancement of knowledge, enjoy similar opportunities of 

 collecting it. 



Although the Jains were not able to defend their temples and larger 

 statues from profane hands, they contrived to carry off the smaller 

 images, and many of their sacred books, which they preserve with the 

 jealousy natural to the weaker sect. The smaller images that I had 

 opportunities of seeing in Canara and the Southern Mahratta Country, 

 were all either of brass or a white slightly veinedf marble, which is 

 said to be brought from the Uttara Des^ ox co\xnixy north of the Ner- 

 budda, and represented the twenty-four Tirt'hankars, both singly and in 

 groupes, in their peculiar standing or sitting-at-ease postures. The 



, * Vide Madras Journal, vol. 7. p. 193. 

 + Marble appears to be a sacred stone araon^ the Jains, being always preferred when 

 procurable, aad Is sometimes brought from great distances. 



