An Unpublished Tri‑Tirthika Jaina Image from Deogarh
By Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari
Summary
Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari presents a short art‑historical note on a tri‑tirthika (three‑Tirthankara) Jain image from Deogarh in the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh. Deogarh is a prolific Digambara site with sculptures dating from the ninth to the twelfth century. The author notes that many Jina images at Deogarh are sky‑clad, indicating Digambara affiliation, and that door lintels of Temple No. 12 display the sixteen auspicious dreams rather than the fourteen seen in Śvetāmbara temples. Numerous individual Jina images depicting the kāyotsarga (standing) and dhyāna (seated) postures have been found there. The site also produced rare dvi‑tirthika, tri‑tirthika and caumukha (four‑sided) images, although only eleven of the twenty‑four Jinas are represented in surviving sculptures. In addition to Jinas, images of Yakṣīs such as Cakreśvarī, Rohiṇī, Ambikā, Padmāvatī and Siddhāyikā occur on plaques and walls. Tiwari focuses on a previously unpublished tri‑tirthika panel embedded in the northern enclosure wall of Temple No. 12. Carved in buff sandstone and dated stylistically to the eleventh century, the panel depicts three sky‑clad standing Jinas—identified through their emblems as Neminātha (conch), Parśvanātha (snake) and Mahāvīra (lion)—in kāyotsarga pose on a carpeted siṃhāsana supported by two lions. A dharmacakra hangs above the throne, linking the lions and bearing the cognizances of the three Jinas. The Jinas have small curls with uṣṇīṣa protuberances; only Parśvanātha is canopied by a seven‑hooded cobra, while the other two have plain aureoles. Each Jina is flanked by male attendants holding flywhisks, and small worshippers kneel at their feet with folded hands. Above the Jinas is a chattratrayī (triple umbrella) topped by a prostrate drummer and a pair of hovering mālādhara figures. The absence of the usual Yakṣa–Yakṣiṇī pair on the throne ends is noted. The photograph of the sculpture accompanies the article, which aims to document and describe this unusual example of tri‑tirthika imagery.
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Conclusion
Tiwari concludes that the tri‑tirthika image from Deogarh is an important addition to the corpus of Jain sculpture. Its iconography confirms Digambara influence and highlights the popularity of Neminātha, Parśvanātha and Mahāvīra in the eleventh century. The panel’s careful composition—with three equal Jinas, attendant figures and symbolic emblems—illustrates how medieval artists synthesised doctrine and artistry. Documenting such pieces enriches our understanding of regional variations in Jain iconography.