Tirthankara

Height 94 cm., Breadth  70 cm.,
Bichavolu, Ramachandrapuram Taluk; East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.
Circa 9th Centur AD.

     The Tirthankara is in seated Dhyana pose. The figure is mutilated below the hip. An ornamented backrest with a lateral view of a lion with a cyclindrical cushion is on his back. His Yaksha attendants are shown one on each side just above the backrest. The Bha Mandala at the back of his head is in the usual form. Mukkudai is above his head. He has curly hair and very long ear lobes. We see this pattern in the Eastern Chalukya sculptures.

Ajithanatha

Height 67.5 cm., Breadth 59 cm.
Peddatumbalam, Bellary District, Karnataka.
Circa 12th Century AD.

     Ajithanatha, the second Tirthankara is depicted in seated Dhyana posture in Padmasana (lotus pose) on a lotus base. His hair is shown in curls. This type of hair depiction is also common to sculptures of the Buddha. At his back is an ornamented backrest with Makara designs. Depicted further recessed are Chamara bearers, one on each side. They bear a fruit in their free hands. Their head-gear is in the form of Karanda Makuta (the crown is in the form of a cone with the base at an angle of 30° pointed towards the apex; this shape is supposed to resemble the neck of a peacock). A round Bha Mandala (aura) is shown at the back of the Tirthankara's head. Over it is shown the Mukkudai or the triple umbrella. The arch having floral designs (Prabhavali) with a Simha mukha (lion face) enchances the beauty of the sculpture. The ornaments of the Chamara (fly-whisk) bearers and the floral peral string designs of the Mukkudai and the arch shown iit as akin to Hoysala style. On that basis, we may assign the date of this sculpture to Circa 12th Century AD. There is no cognisance in this sculpture to identify him as Ajithanatha. But in the Museum Register, this sculpture is recorded as Ajithanatha.