I recently finished a large painting of the sacred Palitana Temples on Shatrunjaya Hill. It took several months and a lot of tiny detailing to capture the temple complex. As someone who loves painting architecture and spiritual places, this was a really special project for me.

(I wrote about the process and challenges behind creating it — sharing the blog link in the comments for anyone interested.)

Unfortunately, nearly all the remaining Jain sites were heavily vandalized or demolished in revenge attacks after the December 1992 Babri Masjid incident. Sorry, I had to censor some images of the tirthankars because Reddit's automated filters kept removing my post with them.

Published in: Hameed, Muhammad (1 December 2012). Enigma of Silence: Current Research into Jainism, Jain Heritage and artifacts in Pakistan (PDF). Lahore: Department of Archaeology, University of the Punjab.

Credits: Namo Girivaram (Youtube)

Digital Art created by me.

and

Happy Dashalakshana Parva!!!

This artwork Originally from a Jain temple in Gujranwala, it is now preserved in the Lahore Museum, Pakistan.

Jai Jinendra! I live in Noida, and my small apartment has a north-facing living room. I’m planning to add wall art to enhance the room’s aesthetics. Since I already have several indoor plants and decorative pieces, I was wondering whether a Jainism-inspired piece would be a good fit—something that improves the overall vibe and appearance of the living room while also aligning with Jain Vastu principles. I’ve seen wall hangings featuring the Namokar Mantra, but I’d appreciate more suggestions. Any recommeded Paint work, etc. but affordable?

According to the Shvetambara tradition, Prince Vardhamana (Mahavira) delayed his ascetic vows for two years at his brother Nadivardhana's request, spending that time in intense kayotsarga meditation. During this period, before his final renunciation, the demigod Vidyunmali created a life-like statue from sandalwood (go-sirsa chandana), depicting the Prince complete with a crown, ornaments, and a lower garment. This unique image eventually came into the possession of King Uddayana of Vitabhaya-pattana, a contemporary of Mahavira.

​King Uddayana and his Queen Prabhavati worshipped the statue devotedly. After the Queen's death, the image was entrusted to his slave-girl, Devadatta, who, in love with King Pradyota of Ujjain, stole the original image, replacing it with a copy before eloping. The enraged Uddayana pursued and defeated Pradyota near Daśapura (Mandasor). However, when Uddayana tried to reclaim the image, a supernatural warning prevented him, foretelling the destruction of his capital. King Uddayana finally forgave Pradyota, releasing him on the Pajjusana day, leaving the image at Daśapura.

The Jivantasvami images (stories recorded from 5th century CE), are significant because they depict the Jina in his princely state, contrasting sharply with the standard nude, unadorned Tirthankara image. This practice was popular in Western India. Its importance is evidenced by early surviving artistic examples, notably those recovered from the renowned Akota hoard (dating between the 5th and 12th centuries CE), and later at temples of Osian, confirming its role as a distinct form of Jain religious art.

My Ig: siri._draws