Pratnatattva Vol. 23; June 2017 Journal of the Department of Archaeology Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka Bangladesh ISSN 1560-7593 Pratnatattva Vol. 23; June 2017 Editorial Board Sufi Mostafizur Rahman Executive Editor Ashit Boran Paul Jayanta Singh Roy Mokammal Hossain Bhuiyan Bulbul Ahmed Shikder Mohammad Zulkarnine Pratnatattva is published annually in June. It publishes original research articles, review articles, book reviews, short notes, seminar and conference news. The main objective of this journal is to promote researches in the field of Archaeology, Art History, Museology and related relevant topics which may contribute to the understanding and interpretation of the dynamic and varied interconnections among past, people and present. This journal is absolutely academic and bilingual. One can write and express his/her views either in Bangla (with a summary in English) or in English (with a summary in Bangla). Contribution to this Journal should be sent to Executive Editor, Pratnatattva, Journal of the Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka ([email protected]). Contributors should strictly follow the guidelines printed in the Journal or can ask for the copy of guideline from the Executive Editor. The Journal is distributed from the Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka – 1342. Cover Concept : Jayanta Singh Roy Front Cover : Hindu, Buddhist & Jaina deities Publisher : Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Phone Numbers: 880-2-7791045-51, ext. 1326 Email: [email protected] Printers : Panir Printers, Dhaka Price : 500 BDT/ 10 USD © : Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. EDITORIAL In this volume (Vol. 23) of Pratnatattva contains articles across diverse topics. Different issues and problems regarding various aspects of the multidisciplinary practice of archaeology in South Asia have been addressed here. We strongly feel that many issues in the archaeology of South Asia are required to be dealt with more critical engagement. The first article of this volume is by Shubha Majumder. He has dealt with iconographic important of an image of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha. He discuss in detail the iconographic features of this newly documented Tīrthaṅkara image along with the earlier one. Swati Biswas’s paper is a very important initiative towards understanding and interpreting of an Unfinished Mughal Manuscript, known as Tutinama. He discuss the research till date around this interesting manuscript. Sabarni Pramanik Nayak have dealt with the nature and changing pattern of Puri in Orissa, during 12th to 15th century on the basis of epigraphical records. It is a very interesting paper because Puri is a very familiar site to us due to the location of Jagannatha temple complex and many other small temples and monasteries and also for the enjoyable view of the Bay of Bengal. Sushmita Sen Pramanik and Tuli Guha Majumder’s paper is a very important contribution into the theme of understanding the context of historical origins and evolution of the Mahisamardini Durga and her iconography in Gujarat from archaeological and literary sources and to recognize the history of Mahisamardini Durga worship in Gujarat. Mepusangba explore the State museums of Nagaland and Manipur and in his paper he try to understand how it represents the community and its identities. Swapan Kumar Biswas’s paper is a very significant report and analyses on a unique and rare iconic form of Mañjuśrī deity collected by Bangladesh National Museum. Md. Mosharaf Hossian and Md. Ataur Rahman have dealt with a temple complex known as local name Khelārāmdāta and its builder named Kenārāma who was a robber by profession in his early life and built this in honour of his father Khelārāma. We feel that the papers in this volume would offer different perspectives on several taken-for-granted assumptions and practices in archaeology. Any comment is welcome from you all. We would like to acknowledge our debt of gratitude to A K M Yaqub Ali, Md. Faruk Khan, Najma Khan Majlis, Bhairabi Prasad Sahu, Md. Mozammel Hoque, Md. Mosharaf Hossain, Shahnaj Husne Jahan, Swapan Kumar Biswas, Mahmudul Hasan and Md. Sohrab Uddin. These distinguished scholars have been kind enough to review all the papers which were submitted for this volume. With the aid of their rigorous peer reviewing and our firm decision to conform to their suggestions, we have published this volume without making any compromise on quality of the papers. The errors and shortcomings are the result of our limitations including budgetary constraints. Finally, the consistent efforts of Shahjahan Bhai and Nur Mohammad Bhai in press have made this production possible within the limited budget. The responsibility for the facts stated, opinion expressed, or conclusions reached is entirely that of the contributors of the articles. The Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University accepts no responsibility for them. Pratnatattva Journal of the Dept. of Archaeology Jahangirnagar University, Vol. 23, June 2017: 1-6 ISSN 1560-7593 A Rare Icon of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha from Purulia, West Bengal: An Analytic Approach SHUBHA MAJUMDER Archaeological Survey of India New Delhi India Email: [email protected] Abstract The attempt of the present paper is to bring forth the iconographic important of an image of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha. Recent discoveries and extensive field work has helped us to postulate that during the 8th -9th century onwards Jainism reach it zenith in the plateau region of ancient Bengal. The cultural heritage of this region received special momentum (with the radiation of sites, construction activities of temples, installation of icons, etc.) with the arrival of political lineages and religious ideologies during the early medieval period. This monumental feature of settlement structure is categorically envisaged by the enormous wealth of archaeological relics in form of abandoned temple complexes, architectural members and sculptural remains of the region. Interestingly, the impressive array of Jaina sculptures and architectural members in the database substantiates the fact that the region abounds in Jaina heritage and was one of thriving Jaina centre, at least for a considerable time during the early medieval period. These available Jaina sculptural and architectural ruins must be classified on the basis of their artistic as well as iconographic technique and also treat each and every sculptural specimen for their individual merit which may not always be wonderful but positively qualify for a valuable observation in connection with the artistic evaluation. Last three years, extensive explorations were carried out in Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha: different areas of the western part of Bengal, mainly in the In Jaina ideology there is a great controversy regarding the District Purulia. This led to the documentation of an gender of the Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha (Bhattacharya 1974: amazing repertoire of archaeological sites/settlements 54-5; Shah, 1987: 159-60). According to the Śvetāmbara including huge sculptural as well as architectural remains, tradition the nineteenth Jaina Tīrthaṅkara, Mallinātha is a some known and some new discoveries. In this collection, female and she is the princess of King Kumbha and Queen Jaina sculptural and architectural remains are plenty in Prabhāvatī of Mithila in the Vaṅga country. Her birth took numbers and most of them have been recorded from the place in the Aśvini nakṣatra. On the other hand according different river valleys of the present study area including to the Digambara tradition, Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha is a the adjoining areas of Chhottanagpur plateau region. These male and they did not believe that a woman can obtain abundance Jaina antiquities indicate that this was the core mokṣa or kevalajñāna. Mallinātha obtains kevalajñāna region so far as the growth and development of Jainism in under an Aśoka tree and mokṣa on Mt. Sammeta. ancient Bengal are concerned. Except the sex, almost all other details about Mallinātha are During the exploration, the author also visited and common in both the Jaina traditions. It is very difficult for documented some collections of artefacts housed in the us to understand which tradition is older and more reliable local museums. Here again the Jaina sculptural remains are and what is the actual gender of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha. In in good number. The Ramkrishna Mission of Purulia town this connection the Jaina conical text Nāyādhammakahāo has a beautiful collection of stone sculptures, among them mention that Malli was the most beautiful princess of her an image of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha is especially age and this text is acknowledged by the Śvetāmbaras noteworthy and is the subject of the present study. This (Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita, vol. VI: 6; Uttarapurāṇa image is hitherto unreported and before the present research Parva 66; Nāyādhammakahāo 8). The several researches only one image of Tīrthaṅkara Mallinātha was reported show that this text is not earlier than the fourth century CE. (Chakrabarti 1993: 126) from ancient Bengal. However, the According to Hemacandra, this Jina was called Malli present study introduces another beautiful and unique because, when she was in her mother’s womb, the mother image of the nineteenth Tīrthaṅkara of Jaina ideology. The had a pregnancy desire for flower garlands (Bhattacharya, present paper will discuss in detail the iconographic 1939: op. cit.,). On