Representations of Ownership: The Nineteenth-Century Painted Maps of Shatrunjaya, Gujarat

This article explains the changes found in patas (cloth paintings) depicting Shatrunjaya, which were produced for Shvetambara Murtipujak Jains during the nineteenth century in Gujarat. These patas differed from earlier tirtha patas in that they were much larger and depicted Shatrunjaya as the central subject matter. They were also meticulous in depicting the topographical and architectural features of the site, and included Palitana, the adjacent town ruled by the Hindu Thakur. The emergence of the site as a centre for Jain pilgrimage, as well as changes in Jain perceptions of the site, led to these transformations.