Author:

Dr. Rajeswar Roy

Assistant Professor
Department of History
M.U.C. Women’s College
Purba-Bardhaman, West Bengal,India

Email: royraaz10@gmail.com

Abstract::The present article deals with the sculptural art of the images of the Buddhist and Jaina minor deities found from early medieval Bengal. Various images of the Buddhist minor goddesses
such as Jambhala, Heruka, Cuṇḍā, Parnasabari, Prajñāpāramitā with their different forms, features,
and attributes and few minor deities such as Sarasvaīi, Śāsanadevis or Yakṣinīs related to Jainism
have been found from Bengal and these are the important and valuable resource of Bengal sculptures
as well as eastern Indian sculptures from artistic points of view. We found that the Jaina goddesses
had little influences and accessibilities to the common people as compared to two main religious
pantheon i.e. Buddhism and Brāhmanical religions. The Jainism was flourished in a particular area
mainly in the Rāṛh region.

Key Words:Aparājitā, Cuṇḍā, Heruka, Parnasabari,Prajñāpāramitā, Sarasvaīi, Śāsanadevis etc