Besides the Kalpasutra, which of the following was a popularly painted text of the Jain tradition?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Kalakacharyakatha
Option (1) Nimatnama — Incorrect. It is a book of recipes painted at Mandu under Nasir Shah Khalji. It belongs to the Sultanate School, not to the Jain tradition.
Option (2) Kalakacharyakatha — Correct. Along with the Sangrahini Sutra, it is one of the other popularly painted Jain texts. It tells the story of Acharya Kalaka.
Option (3) Gita Govinda — Incorrect. It is one of the works painted in the indigenous style of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. That tradition grew among feudal lords and wealthy citizens, apart from Jain painting.
Option (4) Chaurpanchashika — Incorrect. It too belongs to the group of works in the indigenous or pre-Mughal style, not to the Jain texts.
NCERT (2026-27): “Western Indian School of Painting …Other popularly painted texts are Kalakacharyakatha and Sangrahini Sutra, among others. Kalakacharyakatha narrates the story of Acharya Kalaka, who is on a mission to rescue his abducted sister (a Jain nun) from an evil king. It recounts various thrilling episodes and adventures of Kalaka, such as him scouring the land to locate his missing sister, demonstrating his magical powers, forging alliances with other kings, and lastly, battling the evil king.” |