This paper explores the intersection of Jain visual and performing arts, with a focus on the cultural significance of festivals and celebrations in ancient Jainism. The paper argues that the representations of performing arts—particularly those associated with the technical language of abhinaya, as codified in Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra (2 BCE–2 CE)—can play an important, yet still under-researched, role in understanding Jain art and culture. By examining sculptures that depict performances at the occasions of Jain celebrations, such as the dancer performing in the presence of Jina Ṛṣabhanātha from Kaṅkālī Ṭīlā, Mathura (c. 100 BCE), this paper highlights how ancient sculptors skillfully incorporated the technical elements of dance into their works. Carved according to the rules of performances, these sculptures are imbued with multi-layered meanings, expressing emotions and religious concepts in a process where the concept of abhinaya, having transcended its theatrical origins, is creatively adapted by sculptors to convey deeper meanings within Jain visual culture.
The study also draws on a comparative analysis of Jain and coeval Buddhist sculptures, such as those found at Mathura and Bharhut, to show how these representations also shed light on the religious and cultural practices of the time. Through a survey of epigraphic sources and a careful examination of these sculptures based on the technical language of performing arts (abhinaya), this paper aims to increase our knowledge of the performing artists, their art, and the cultural significance of festivals in ancient India.
Beyond the technical examination of sculptural representations of dance based on the different nāṭya and śilpa śāstras, this paper seeks to understand how the identities of the performers and artists were shaped by both their religious participation and the broader cultural forces at play in the creation of Jain visual and performance art. Who were these performers—devotees, professional itinerant artists, or both? Did they participate in festivals regardless of their religious affiliation, a common practice at the time, for example, for sculptors? How did their work shape their social identity?
Through this exploration, the paper aims to increase our knowledge of Jain art, performance, and the identities of those who contributed to these communal and religious expressions.
This paper examines Jain sculptures, performing arts, and festivals in ancient India, focusing on the role of abhinaya, as codified in Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra, in Jain culture. Using a sculpture of a dancer performing in the presence of Jina Ṛṣabhanātha from Kaṅkālī Ṭīlā, Mathura (c. 100 BCE) as a case study, the paper examines it with reference to epigraphical sources and to contemporary Buddhist and Jain representations of performances from Mathura and Bharhut. This analysis highlights the importance of performers and performances in the religious life of ancient India and shows that sculptors skillfully integrated the technical language of dance into their works, thus imbuing sculptures with layered meanings, including religious concepts and the expression of emotions. The paper demonstrates how examining sculptures of performances can enhance our understanding of ancient performing artists, their arts, and the cultural significance of festivals and celebrations in ancient India.