Jain cosmological map of adhaidvipa

Image file

DP-12309-005

Catalog notes

Concentric continents and oceans organize this Jain representation of the universe. Mount Meru stands at the center, while the surrounding rings identify the portion of the cosmos in which human beings can live and attain enlightenment. Based on an older tradition of cloth paintings, this lithograph shows how maps can describe religious ideas and ordered relationships rather than measurable routes across ordinary terrain.

Original catalog record, source and attribution