The Akota Bronzes or Akota Hoard represent a rare and important set of 68 Jain idols dating between the 5th and 12th centuries CE, discovered in 1949 by Professor M.D. Desai (University of Baroda) in the vicinity of Akota, west of Baroda, Gujarat. It is situated on the right bank of the Vishvamitri River, known in ancient and medieval times as Ankottaka, which was a town of significant importance between circa 200 BCE and AD 1100 CE. Akota was a major center of Jainism in the 5th century CE.
Artistic Significance
The hoard includes rare Gupta period bronzes that have been widely used for comparison in studies of Gupta period art. It provides information on metallic art and the development of metal technology during the Gupta, post-Gupta, and medieval periods. M.D. Desai brought five of these idols to archaeologist U.P. Shah for examination. U.P. Shah eventually managed to purchase many of the idols from local individuals and presented them to M.S. University, which are now housed in the Baroda Museum. However, most of the idols were already found and sold into private collections or for metal scrap. Most of the Akota Bronzes that survived are in the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, the National Museum in New Delhi, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
Historical Excavations
The habitation at Akota dates from at least the 2nd century BCE. The name Ankottaka itself is puzzling and is possibly of non-Aryan origin. The second recorded reference to Akota appears in the ‘Vastupalacharita’ of Jnaharshagam, which states that Tejapal, the minister of Lavanaprasada and Viradhavala (c. 1200-1238 CE), passed through Baroda on his way back after conquering Ghughula of Godhra and repaired a temple of Adisvara at Utkota. This shows that Akota continued to be a Jaina center until about the 13th century, though it must have been reduced to a small suburb with nearby Baroda growing rapidly. This is evidenced by the fact that Santuka, a minister of Siddharaja Jayasimha, took part in the Jain rathayatra festival at Vada-Udaya or Vadodara.
Excavations carried out here by Dr. B. Subba Rao on behalf of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, along with the labor and intellectual curiosity of some friends of Dr. Shah, brought to light Kshatrapa coins and some very interesting Roman objects. This evidence has helped establish the antiquity of Akota, which we can now trace back to at least the 2nd century BCE.
Inscriptions and Dating
Only two of the idols have inscriptions that are dated. Mr. U.P. Shah dated the rest of them on a palaeographic basis, which range from the 5th to 12th centuries. They may have belonged to the Vasatika of Arya Rath established in the Kshatrapa era (35–415 CE). None of the idols date after 1100 CE, suggesting that they were buried for safeguarding during the invasion of Gujarat by Alap Khan, a general of Alauddin Khilji.
Two images of Jivantasvami, representing Mahavira when he was alive as a prince, are widely mentioned examples of the early western Indian school of art. One of them is specifically inscribed as Jivantasvami installed by ‘Nagisvari’, representing the early phase of the Gupta style. Additionally, two images of Tirthankara, including one of Parsvanatha, are from the post-Gupta period. An idol inscribed as donated by ‘Sadhu Sarvadeva’ features eight standing figures representing the eight planets on both sides of the dharmachakra. Notable images of Ambika on a lion and a standing Sarasvati are from the same period. Other Tirthankaras, including Rishabhnath (1st Jina), Shantinath (16th Jina), Munisuvrata (20th Jina), and Parshvanatha (23rd Jina), were also sometimes represented in the form of Jivantasvami. A Chamardharini (chaurie bearer) stands in Tribhanga pose on a carefully carved lotus pedestal, representing the western Indian school during the Chaulukya period between the 11th and 12th centuries.
Monastic Lineages and Cultural Impact
The inscriptions mention several monastic lineages, including Nivrati Kula, Chandra Kula, Vidyadhara Kula, Nagendra Kula, and Gohadra Kula. Modern jnatis of shravakas are not mentioned, with the exception of a late image of about 1000 AD which refers to Modh Gachchha. However, an earlier image datable to 600–650 CE refers to a shravak from (nirgata) Kaserahadra. Two of the idols refer to Goshthikas (guild members) of weavers (salapati).
Significance and Legacy
The Akota bronzes are of considerable artistic and historical significance. The inscriptions attest to the earliest use of the title “Sadhu” (shahu or Shah) by lay Jains. The tradition of the legendary wooden Jivantasvami idol is recorded to be from 550 CE, specifically inscribed as Jivantasvami. It is regarded as the first clothed Jain idol and was installed shortly after the Vallabhi vaanchana presided over by Acharya Devardhi Gani Kshamashramana in 453 CE. Jinabhadra Gani Kshamashramana is mentioned as the installer of the Rishabhanath idol, who wrote the ‘Visheshavashyaka Bhashya’.
Bronze sculptures and statuettes of Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu icons have been discovered from many regions of India, dating from the 2nd century until the 16th century. Indian sculptors had mastered the bronze medium and the casting process as much as they had mastered terracotta sculpture and carving in stone. The ‘cire-perdu’ or lost-wax process for casting was learned as long ago as the Indus Valley Culture, alongside the process of making an alloy of metals by mixing copper, zinc, and tin, known as bronze.
A Call for Preservation
The historical heritage site of Akota has turned into a township, despite the need for protection under the Archaeological Department for further excavation. It seems none of the Chief Ministers of Gujarat have prioritized the preservation of history and the discovery of the antiquities of Vadodara. The Jains and residents of Vadodara should raise their voices to stop further development at Akota and demand its excavation, as such rare and valuable heritage has been found in abundance here.
Partial Sources: Baroda Through the Ages
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