4

JAINA ARCHITECTURE.

Book V.

Altogether the Jains form a small section of the population
of India, according to the last census, numbering about 1,334,000
or scarcely 1 in 221 of the whole population.1 They are by far
more numerous in western India and Rajputana than elsewhere ;
thus in Rajputana there are 111,600 of the Digambara division,
and fully twice as many Avetambaras ; whereas in Mysore where
the Digambaras outnumber the others by 6 to 1, they only count
11,700, and, whilst numerically fewer, they are equally less
influential than their co-religionists farther north.2

The proper objects of worship are the twenty-four Jinas or
Tirthankaras, but, like the Buddhists, they allow the existence
of Hindu gods, and have admitted into their sculptures at least
such of them as are connected with the tales of their saints—
among which are Indra or Aakra, Garuda, Sarasvati, Lakshmi,
Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas, Gandharvas, Apsarasas, etc., forming
a pantheon of their own, divided into four classes — Bhavan-
adhipatis, Vyantaras, Jyotishkas, and Vaimanikas.3

The Tirthankaras are each recognisable by a cognizance or
chihna, usually placed below the image ; and they are sometimes
represented as of different colours or complexions : thus the
first five are of yellow or golden colour, as are also the 7th, 10th
and nth, 13th to 18th, 21st and 24th ; the 6th and 12th are red ;
the 8th and 9th, white or fair ; the 19th and 23rd are blue; and
the 20th and 22nd, black. Each has his own sacred tree, and
is attended by a male and female Yaksha or spirit, usually
represented on the right and left ends of the asana or throne of
the image, whilst a third attendant is carved on the centre of
it. The Tirthankaras with their distinctive signs, etc., are given
in the following table :—

1 The following statement, from the census returns of
distribution of the Jains

1901, will indicate

In Bombay Presidency, Baroda and smaller states

584,240

Rajputana including Ajmir ....

. 362,517

Panjab ......

50,020

United Provinces and Oudh ....

84,582

Central India ......

112,998

Central Provinces and Berar ....

67,822

Haidarabad ......

20,345

Mysore and Coorg .....

I3>709

Madras Presidency .....

27,437

Bengal, AsSm, Kashmir, etc.

10,478

Total Jaina population

• U334U48

2 The Digambaras seem to have migrated to the south, owing to a severe famine
in Hindustan, somewhere about 50 B.C. perhaps under the leadership of the later
Bhadrabahu.—‘Indian Antiquary,’ vol. xx. pp. 35of; and xxi. pp. I5gf.

3 Appendix to Biihler’s ‘ Indian Sect of the Jainas,’ English translation, pp. 61
et seqq.