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Bundelkhand , a region in central India, has been an ancient center of Jainism. It covers northern part of Madhya Pradesh and southern western part of Uttar Pradesh.
Bundelkhand was known as Dasharna or Jaijakabhukti in ancient times. The Betwa (Vetravati) and Dhasan (Dasharna) rivers flow through it.
It is one of the few regions in India where Jainism has a strong presence and influence. There are many ancient tirthas in Bundelkhand region. Many of the modern scholars and monks of Jainism belong to this region.
Many of the famous Jain tirthas, Vidisha, Deogarh, Lalitpur, Karguanji (Jhansi), Chanderi, Kundalpur, Khajuraho, Aharji, Paporaji, Drongir (Chhatarpur), Sonagir, Nainagiri, Badagaon, Pateriaji, Nisaiji etc. are in this region. [1]
Bundelkhand is home to several Jain communities:
The Khandelwals were originally from Rajasthan, but they have been present in Bundelkhand since ancient times.
Navalsah Chanderia in 1768 in his Vardhamana Purana mentioned 11 communities that were partly Jain. These include
A few among them are still Jain and follow the Teranpanthi sect.
भगवतोर्हतः चन्द्रप्रभस्य प्रतिमेऽयं कारिता महाराजाधिराज-श्री-रामगुप्तेन उपदेशात् पाणिपात्रिक-चन्द्रक्षमाचार्य्य-क्षमण-श्रमण-प्रशिष्य-आचार्य्य सर्प्पसेन-क्षमण-शिष्यस्य गोलक्यान्त्या-सत्पुत्रस्य चेलु-क्षमणस्येति
The Ramagupta inscription found near Vidisha 375 CE
The Bhadavar region (Bhind, Morena, Etawah) is adjacent to Bundelkhand and is home to some like
Lalitpur is a city and a municipal board in Lalitpur District, India in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is also district headquarters of Lalitpur district. The city is part of Bundelkhand region.
Chanderi, is a town of historical importance in Ashoknagar District of the state Madhya Pradesh in India. It is situated at a distance of 127 km from Shivpuri, 37 km from Lalitpur, 55 km from Ashok Nagar and about 46 km from Isagarh. It is surrounded by hills southwest of the Betwa River. Chanderi is surrounded by hills, lakes and forests and is spotted with several monuments of the Bundela Rajputs and Malwa sultans. It is famous for ancient Jain Temples. Its population in 2011 was 33,081.
In Jainism, a tīrtha is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha. A tirtha provides the inspiration to enable one to cross over from worldly engagement to the side of moksha.
Lalitpur District is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Lalitpur district is a part of Jhansi Division. Lalitpur is the main town and administrative headquarters. The district occupies an area of 5,039 km².
Jainism has been present in Maharashtra since ancient times. The famous Ellora Caves demonstrate that Jainism was part of a thriving religious culture in Maharashtra in premodern times.
Parwar, also spelt as Paravāra, is a major Jain community from the Bundelkhand region, which is largely in Madhya Pradesh, but also includes the two Lalitpur and Jhansi districts of Uttar Pradesh. Apart from them, Nagpur district (Maharashtra) have also a very large Parwar community. There is an area in Itwari of Nagpur known as Parwar-Pura having large number of Parwar's homes and shops. Most of the Nagpur's Parwar are migrated from Sagar, Deori, and other small villages of Sagar District of MP. Parwar exclusively follow the Digambar Jain tradition. Parwar usually preferred their marriage within community. There are 12 Gotra in Parwar community. Each Gotra has 12 Moor (lineages). A marriage within the same gotra or lineage are not allowed. Traditionally a marriage within any of the 8 branches was not permitted and hence the community was termed ashta-shakha.
Singhai is a hereditary title awarded in the past to leaders of the Jain Sangha.
Golapurva is an ancient Jain community from the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.
Gahoi is a merchant Vaishya-Baniya community in central India.
Muktagiri, or Mendhagiri, is a Jain pilgrimage centre, located on border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in India. It comes under Bhainsdehi tehsil of Betul district and is 14 km (14,000 m) from Paratwada in Amravati district.
Deogarh is a village in Lalitpur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located on the right bank of Betwa River and to the west of Lalitpur hills. It is known for Gupta monuments and for many ancient monuments of Hindu and Jain origins inside and outside the walls of the fort.
Uttar Pradesh, a state in north India has a long association with Jainism. Today the state is home to a number of Jain monuments, such as Jain Temples and Jain Tirths. There are around 213,267 Jains in Uttar Pradesh according to 2011 Census of India.
Aharji is a historical pilgrimage site for Jainism in India. It is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, on the road from Tikamgarh to Chhatarpur. This place is famous for Jain Temple.
Bara Mandir is a historic Jain temple in Jabalpur, right on the edge of Hanumantal, once the main center of Jabalpur.
Bandhaji is a historic Jain tirtha about 35 km from Tikamgarh.
Aharji Jain Teerth is a historical pilgrimage site for Jainism located in Aharji, Madhya Pradesh, on the road from Tikamgarh to Chhatarpur.
Nainagiri is a major pilgrimage site for Jainism in India. It is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, it is 12 km from Dalpatpur and 25 km from Bukswaha. This tirth, also known as Reshandigiri, is a Siddha Kshetra where five ancient saints including Varadatta had attained nirvana.
Navagarh is a Jain Tirth in India. It is located at the Nabai village near Sojna in central India in Uttar Pradesh, just across the border from Madhya Pradesh. It is 65 km east from Lalitpur and 110 km north from Sagar. This ancient cite was excavated in 1959. It is the only tirth in India where the main deity is the ancient image of Lord Aranatha, preserved in the ancient underground chamber.
The Jain Temple complex is group of 31 Jain temples located at Deogarh in Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh built around 8th to 17th century CE. The Jain complex in Deogarh are protected by the Department of Archaeology of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and managed through its Northern Circle Office located in Lucknow. ASI maintain an archaeological museum at the Deogarh site, which is noted for its treasured archaeological sculptures.