A Note on a Unique Jaina Relief from Sulgi
Summary
Pratip Kumar Mitra’s short note reports the discovery of a remarkable Jain relief sculpture from Sulgi mouza in Bankura district, West Bengal. In 1979, while surveying the region, Sri J. N. Banerjee of the West Bengal Information Service unearthed several antiquities from the banks of the Silavati river. Among them was a small white‑spotted red sandstone stele measuring roughly 15.4 × 7.7 × 1.5 cm depicting a seated Jina with his sasanadevi. The slab is weathered and worn, yet its iconography is distinct. At its centre, a Tirthankara sits in padmasana with hands in dhyana-mudra. A chatra (parasol) held by a flying couple hovers above his head, and a circular halo radiates sharp rays. Two attendants, probably cauri‑bearers, flank the Jina but are too abraded to identify. The rigid, disciplined posture of the Jina contrasts with the plasticity of the goddess below. The sasanadevi, richly bejewelled, sits on a couchant lion beneath a stylised tree that arches over her head. She supports a child on her left lap while holding an indistinct object—possibly a mango—in her right hand; another female figure holding and caressing a second child sits on her right. Although the identifying attributes are worn away, the lion mount and presence of children strongly suggest that the sasanadevi is Ambika, the yaksi of the twenty‑second Tirthankara Neminatha, whose emblems include a mango tree and a bunch of mangoes. The stylised tree above her may once have represented a mango tree laden with fruit. Unusually, the Jina and his sasanadevi occupy nearly equal proportions, deviating from the customary iconographic hierarchy. Mitra notes that the volume and depth of the figures recall late Gupta stylistic traits, leading him to date the relief to the 8th–9th century CE. The discovery indicates that the area around Sulgi may once have housed a Jain shrine or settlement. Mitra urges further exploration of the mound and surrounding region to uncover more artefacts and better understand the spread of Jainism in western Bengal during the early medieval period.
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Conclusion
The Sulgi relief enriches our understanding of regional Jain art. A diminutive yet finely carved stele shows a Tirthankara and his sasanadevi—likely Ambika—seated beneath a canopy, flanked by attendants and children. Its iconography, equal sizing of Jina and yaksi, and stylistic features suggest an 8th–9th‑century date and link it to late Gupta artistic traditions. The find implies the existence of a Jain shrine along the Silavati river and underscores the need for systematic archaeological exploration of Bankura district to illuminate Jain artistic and religious activity in eastern India.