Some Jaina Metal Images From Unpublished Ghogha Hoard - Book Summary

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Discovery and Significance of the Ghogha Hoard:

The Ghogha hoard, consisting of 240 Jaina bronze images, was a serendipitous discovery in 1961 during renovations at the Navakhandā Pārsvanātha temple in Ghoghā, an ancient seaport in Gujarat. This hoard is significant because it represents a crucial period in the development of Jaina metal art in Western India, specifically the medieval and late medieval periods, supplementing earlier known hoards like Akota and Vasantagadh which primarily cover the 6th to 11th centuries AD. The Ghogha hoard extends the artistic timeline, showcasing developments from the 10th to the 17th centuries AD, with one mentioned image dating to 1720 AD, indicating the period after which the treasure was likely concealed.

Content and Characteristics of the Hoard:

Inscriptions: A notable portion of the hoard's images are inscribed, providing valuable information such as donor names, villages and towns, caste affiliations of traders, and names of gacchas (monastic lineages) and Sūris (spiritual preceptors), all belonging to the Svetāmbara sect.
Donation: In 1978, 129 images from the hoard, selected for their importance by M.A. Dhaky and H.P. Shastri, were donated to the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad.
Image Types: The majority of these donated images are ek-tirthis (single Jina figures) or pañca-tirthis (groups of five Jinas).
Artistic Condition: Many figures are defaced due to centuries of ritualistic ablutions, making physiognomical details unclear. However, features like eyes, the śrīvatsa mark on the chest, and the Jina's seat are often inlaid with silver or copper.

Artistic Evolution and Stylistic Analysis:

The Ghogha hoard demonstrates the evolution of Western Indian Jaina metal art after the 10th century, reflecting the emergence of various workshops. While these workshops had distinct characteristics, their works shared a common stylistic foundation within the unified Western Indian tradition. This style persisted with tenacity until the early 16th century, after which it evolved into a more "baroque" style characterized by elaborate details and geometrical compositions.

Formalism: Formalism becomes evident from the early 11th century, manifesting in both geometrical compositions and figural representations. Figures lose the flowing contours of earlier periods and show a tendency towards geometrical abstraction.
Last Phase of Vasantagadh Tradition: Relatively early metal images from Ghogha (10th-11th centuries) exhibit characteristics of the Vasantagadh tradition, including flamboyant halos and oval prabha-aureoles.
Introduction of Attendant Figures: The representation of camara-bearers (flywhisk bearers) becomes a significant element in later medieval Jaina metal images. Their absence in the predominantly early Akota hoard and their appearance in Vasantagadh after the mid-10th century helps in dating certain images.
Torana Element: The inclusion of the torana (undulating arch) element, first seen in Vasantagadh images after the mid-10th century, marked a step towards more elaborate compositions and made the images more suitable for domestic shrine worship.
Image Worship Practices: From the early 12th century, changes in Svetāmbara image worship led to the practice of āngis (body decoration), resulting in the addition of looped hinges on the parikara (surround) of some images. The presence of a chatra-puruṣa (umbrella figure) behind the parikara is also noted in images from this period.
Manufacturing Techniques: Late medieval Western Indian metal images were produced in parts (principal image, pedestal, surround, arch, attendant figures) and then assembled through soldering or revetting techniques.

Catalogued Examples (Chronological Order):

The article then details several representative examples from the Ghogha hoard, providing their descriptions, dimensions, accession numbers, stylistic attribution, and dates (often in both AD and Vikram Samvat). These examples highlight the stylistic features discussed above, including the presence of camara-bearers, toranas, navagrahas (nine planets), various yakshas and yakshis, and inscriptions.

Tritirthi of Pārsvanātha (c. early 10th century AD): Early example showing Vasantagadh style, with flanking Jinas, Dharanendra and Padmavati, and no male camara-bearers.
Caturvimśati-patta of Ādinātha (AD 1066): Identifiable by hair locks, attended by Gomukha and Cakreśvari, with elaborate torana-like composition and donor inscription.
Tritirthi of Pārsvanātha (AD 1078): Features a snake-hood canopy, flanking Jina and camara-bearer, Dharanendra and Padmavati, and an inscription indicating the donor and gaccha.
Seated Pārsvanātha (AD 1097): Shows a snake-hood canopy, camara-bearers, Dharanendra and Padmavati, a perforated parikara with vegetal patterns, and a detailed donor inscription.
Seated Jina (AD 1124): Eyes and śrīvatsa inlaid with silver, flanked by camara-bearers, with a donor inscription that suggests a date of 1181.
Tritirthi of Śāntinātha (AD 1177): Jina with a silver-inlaid śrīvatsa, flanked by Jinas under triple umbrellas, attended by Garuda and Nirvani, and an inscription mentioning the donor and sūri.
Seated Pārsvanātha (AD 1201): Depicts a broad face and squattish torso, inlaid eyes and śrīvatsa, camara-bearers, Dharanendra and Padmavati, and loops for angi. Includes a detailed inscription with gaccha and donor information.
Seated Jina (AD 1233): Features inlaid eyes and śrīvatsa, camara-bearers, donors, and an inscription linking it to the Navanga vrttikara lineage of Śrī Candra gaccha.
Caturvimśati-patta of a Jina (AD 1355): Shows a broad face and squattish torso, a pañcatirthi composition, a torana with 19 seated Jinas, and a donor inscription detailing multiple family members and the installing sūri.

In conclusion, the Ghogha hoard provides invaluable insights into the evolution of Jaina metal iconography and artistry in Western India during the medieval and late medieval periods, offering a visual and epigraphic record of religious practices, patronage, and stylistic development.