The Palitana temples, often known only as Palitana, are a large complex of Jain temples located on Shatrunjaya hills near Palitana in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. Also known as "Padliptapur of Kathiawad" in historic texts, the dense collection of almost 900 small shrines and large temples have led many to call Palitana the "city of temples".[1] It is one of the most sacred sites of the Śvetāmbara tradition within Jainism. The earliest temples in the complex date as far back as the 11th century CE.[2]
The Palitana temple complex is near the top of the hill, in groups called Tonks (Tuks) along the hills' various ridges.[1] The main temple is dedicated to Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara; it is the holiest shrine for the ŚvetāmbaraMurtipujaka sect. Marble is the preferred material of construction. More than 400,000 pilgrims visited the site in 2010.[3]
Jains believe that 23 of the 24 Tirthankaras, all except Neminatha, sanctified Palitana with visits. This makes the site particularly important to the Jain tradition. These temples are reached by most pilgrims and visitors by climbing around 3500 stone steps along a hilly trail. Some hire pallanquins at the base of the hills, to be carried to the temple complex. Palitana, along with the Shikharji in Jharkhand, is believed to be the holiest of all pilgrimage places by the Jain community.[4][5]
Digambara Jains have only one dedicated temple in Palitana.[6] Hingraj Ambikadevi (known as Hinglaj Mata) is considered as the presiding deity of the hill, who is a Jain Yakshini (attendant deity).[7] As the temple complex was built to be an abode for the divine, no one is allowed to stay overnight, including the priests.[8]
Location
General Plan of Palitana temples
Palitana is a small town about 55 kilometers southwest of Bhavnagar city and 25 kilometers south of Songadh village in Bhavnagar district in southeastern Gujarat. It is midst an arid-marshy terrain near the Gulf of Cambay and the Shetrunji river.[9] About 2 kilometers to the south of Palitana town are twin hilltops with a saddle-like valley with a peak height of about 600 meters. These are the Palitana hills, historically called the Shatrunjaya Hills.[9] The word Shatrunjaya is interpreted as a "place of victory".[9] According to Paul Dundas, a scholar of Jainism, Shatrunjaya hill literally means "the hill which conquers enemies".[10] On these hilltops is a fortified wall complex with space for canons built by the local Hindu ruler after the 14th century to resist any raids and destruction. Within this fortified walls, on the ridges of these hills is the largest collection of Śvetāmbara Jain temples, called the Palitana temples.[11][12]
The steps for the trek to Palitana temples starts in the southern part of the Palitana town, where there a number of monasteries, rest houses, shops and small temples. The steps to the Palitana temples begin to the west of a major active Jain temple and to the east of the newly built Samovsaran Mandir and museum by the Tapa Gaccha subtradition of Jains.[13] The stone-concrete stairs gently wind along the hill, climbing up into the fort and to the summit with temples. Along this climb, are small temples, rest stops with drinking water for the pilgrims and visitors to sit and rest before resuming their trek. Near the fort, the steps fork into two. The eastern side typically is the entrance for a traditional clockwise circumambulation of the temples, while the other the exit. The trek involves climbing over 3500 stone steps.[9][14]
Mythology and history
The idol of Rishabhanatha inside main temple
In the traditional texts and beliefs, this sacred hill became important to Jainism millions of years ago, since the age of Adinatha (locally called Adishvera). Adinatha himself lived for 8.4 million purvas ( 1 purva = 70560 billion years), and patronized this Satrunjaya hills site many times in his long life. He is believed to have visited Satrunjaya nearly 700 million times, more than any other Jain site. Thereafter, Satrunjaya has been cherished and patronized by other Tirthankaras of Jainism, including Risabhanatha and his son Bharata. These hills and Palitana host Adinatha's principal temple.[14]
According to the Shatrunjaya Mahatmya by Dhanesvara, a Jaina text in Sanskrit traceable to about the 14th century CE, Mahavira recited the legends of Rishabha to a solemn assembly on Satrunjaya when deity Indra requested him to do so. After nearly 300 verses, the text begins the description of Bharatam Varsham, followed by the glory of Satrunjaya. The text declares it so holy, that even thinking about it "expiates many sins". It then gives 108 alternate names for this site in verses 331 to 335, such as Pundarika, Siddikshetram, Mahabala, Surasaila, Vimaladri, Punyarasi, Subhadra, Muktigeham, Mahatirtham, Patalamula, Kailasa, and others.[15] Of these names, the 11th-century Jaina scholar Hemachandra mentions two: Satrunjaya and Vimaladri.[15]
In the Jain belief, the first TirthankaraRishabha sanctified the hill where he delivered his first sermon. It was his first disciple Pundarika, who attained Nirvana at Shatrunjay, hence the hill was originally known as "Pundarikgiri". There exists a marble image of Pundaraksvami consecrated in samvat year 1064 (1120 CE) by Shersthi Ammeyaka to commemorate the sallekhana of a muni belonging to the Vidhyadhara Kula.[16]
Bharata Chakravartin, the father of Pundarik and half-brother of Bahubali, is believed in Jain mythistory to have visited Shatrunjaya many times.[17] In some Jain literature, it is claimed to be the site of the first Jaina temple many millions of years ago.[note 1][10][19]
Vividha Tirtha Kalpa, composed by Jinaprabha Suri in the 14th century CE, describes the shrines and legends of Palitana temples.[20]
An 1866 sketch of Palitana templesAn archive photo of one tonk of the Palitana temples (1860)
In the mythistory[note 2] of Jainism, the early Jaina scholars give the Palitana temples dates ranging from the time of early Tirthankaras (millions of years ago) to 1st millennium BCE. More precise dates emerge in texts such as the Shatrunjaya Mahatmya, which in a verse asserts its own composition of samvat 477 (c. 421 CE), but then proceeds to mention a series of seventeen renovations by mythical Jain and Hindu kings,[note 3] as well as the one that was completed in early 14th century based on epigraphy and other historical records.[24] According to Vividha Tirtha Kalpa, Pandavas along with Kunti attained moksha here.[20]
The Shatrunjaya hills are mentioned in the canonical texts that Śvetāmbara Jains,[note 4] though this mention is found in the later sections broadly accepted to have been completed by about the 5th century. This suggests that the site of Palitana temples was sacred to the Śvetāmbara Jains by about the 5th century, if not earlier.[10] In Saravali, a late section within the Svatambara canonical works that was likely appended in the 11th century, Rishaba's grandson Pundarika is mentioned in the context of Shatrunjaya hills and Palitana temples site, as are Rama, Sita and the Pandava brothers of Hinduism mentioned as doing Tirtha here. Thus, the Palitana temples site was acknowledged in the most important texts of Śvetāmbara Jains, and it was definitely a part of Jaina sacred geography in Gujarat by the 11th century.[10]
Based on epigraphy and architectural considerations, the Palitana temples were built, damaged, restored and expanded over a period of 900 years starting in the 11th century. For example, the Jain text Pethadarasa describes the restorations made by Pethada in 1278 CE after it was damaged and mutilated, while the Jain text Samararasa presents the rapairs and restorations in 1315 CE. Epigraphical records found at the site establish that between 1531 and 1594, the temples were damaged, then extensive repairs and restorations were completed with the support of Karmashah and Tejpalsoni after damage to the temples.[24] According to Cousens, hardly anything in the architecture of Palitana temples as they have survived into the modern age, can be dated "earlier than the 12th-century".[25] This may be because earlier temples were built from wood, while stone and marble as construction material was adopted by Gujarati Jain community at Satrunjaya in the 12th century.[26] Two individual items of artwork are from the 11th century – the Pundarika image can be dated to 1006 CE, while another image of layperson here is from 1075 CE.[26]
The damage and destruction of earlier versions of the Palitana temples complex is attributed by Jain texts to the Turks (the name for Muslim armies of different Sultanates). Examples include the raids and destructions in Gujarat during the 13th and 15th century CE, particularly the major destruction in samvat 1369 (c. 1312–3 CE) by Allauddin Khilji of Delhi Sultanate.[27][17][note 5] These destructions are attested by the textual and epigraphical records of Jains, such as those of the Jain scholar and saint Jinaprabha Suri, who presided over the temples. Suri writes in section 1.119 of his Vividha Tirtha Kalpa that the Palitana temples were sacked by the Muslim army in 1311 CE.[29] Further, another evidence is the sudden and near-complete lack of new inscriptions from most of the 16th century, in contrast to inscriptions before and after the 16th century. The Śvetāmbara Murtipujaka (idol worshippers) traditions of Tapa Gaccha, particularly led by Hiravijayasuri, was instrumental in organizing the Jain community to once again restore Palitana temples and complete new large temples, starting in 1593 CE. Thereafter, wealthy patrons added to a proliferation of temples at this site. This tradition of adding temples associated with this site, as well as in and around Palitana continues in the contemporary era. Most of the temples and a large section of the complex as seen by pilgrims and visitors in the contemporary era are between the end of 16th and the 19th century.[10]
In 1656, Murad Baksh – then Governor of Gujarat, and the son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, granted the Shatrunjaya site and Palitana temples as a gift to Shantidas Jhaveri – then the jeweller to his court and the leader of local Jain community.[30][note 6] In 1730 CE, the management of the Palitana temples came under Anandji Kalyanji Trust.[26][27]
Description
The Shatrunjaya site has numerous Jain temples, which in Gujarat are called derasar. All these are the Palitana temples. The total number varies by source, with most scholarly counts being close to a 1000. Of these, 108 are large temples, rest are small to tiny shrines that are a part of the chauvisis ensemble (24 identical shrines, one each for a Tirthankara).[27] The entire site is in clusters. A fortified, enclosed cluster of temples is called a Tonk or Tuk. The Palitana temples are in nine Tuks, set on the two ridges of the Shatrunjaya hills.[31]
The most important temples in these Tuks are the Adinath, Kumarpal, Sampratiraja, Vimal Shah, Sahasrakuta, Ashtapada and Chaumukh temple.[34] Some of them are named after the wealthy patrons who paid for the construction.
Groups of Palitana temples (Tuks, Tonks)
Chaumukhji
Balabhai
Sheth Motisha
Architecture and artwork
Floor plan of the Adinatha Chaumukh temple, Palitana
The Palitana temples highlight the Maru-Gurjara architecture found in western and northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily Gujarat and Rajasthan. Given its history of damage and rebuilding, the 16th- to 19th-century Palitana temples of Śvetāmbara Jain tradition show the evolution in design principles over this period within the Solanki school. It reflects an ornate style with the North Indian Nagara temples architecture, and is related to the innovations and developments that began in western India around the 10th century with the Kalyana Chalukya dynasty. This architecture is also found in Hindu temples and Digambara Jain tradition temples in this part of India.[35]
This Solanki-school Maru-Gurjara architecture preserves the Nagara Shikhara, yet distinctively favors ornate outer and inner walls with numerous reliefs, sculptures and open pillared halls with the square and circle principle variously applied. Integrated within are andolas (a form of arches) and toranas of different styles, typically highly ornamented.[35] These are found in the region stretching between Gujarat and Telangana. The post 16th-century temples in Palitana, like those found in Rajasthan, look ever more ornamented and precision carved in marble or other materials that became increasingly easier to move from their place of origin. Ceilings, ambulatories and pillars too are lavishly decorated, while domes in concentric shrinking circles help envelop more space and light. The sanctum (garbhagriya) remembers the historic tradition, as do the upper layers of the superstructure.[35] Among the various Tuks at Shatrujaya, the more elaborate and open architecture temples are those built in the 19th century and under the sponsorship of the Anandji Kalyanji Trust.[36]
Main temples
Chaumukh temple
Chaumukh temple on the northern ridge, Palitana
The Chaumukh temple has a large hall, a reminder of Jain community discourses. This is inspired by the first tirthanakara's discourse. It is an ensemble involving buildings with open hall and four entrances so that images would be visible from all four directions. The four sides are called the caturbimba (four sided views).[37]
Adinath temple
The Adinath temple, which venerates Rishabha, is the main temple (in the apex of the northern ridge of the complex[38]) in the complex and is the grandest. It has ornate architectural motifs, though in its overall plan, it is simpler than the Chaumukh temple. The jewellery collection of this temple is large, which can be seen with special permission from the Anandji Kalyanji Trust. The prayer halls of this temple (renovated in 1157 by Vagabhata) is decorated with ornamental friezes of dragons.[38]
There are three pradakshina routes, followed in a clockwise direction, which are associated with this temple. The first is circular and includes the Sahasrakuta temple, the foot-idols under the Rayan tree, the temple of idols of feet of Ganadhar, and the temple of Simandhar Swami. The second passage passes the new Adishwar temple, Mt. Meru, the temple of Samavasaran temple, and Sammet Shikhar temple. The third passage passes the Ashtapada temple, the Chaumukh temple.[38]
Adishvara Temple
The deep reliefs on the outer walls of one of the Palitana temples
The Adishvara Temple, dated to the 16th century, has an ornamented spire; its main image is that of Rishabha. The Chaumukh temple, built in 1616 by Setthi Devaraj, has a four-faced Adinatha image deified on a white pedestal, each face turned towards the cardinal directions. The west-side of the shrine is surrounded by Veranda with richly carved pillars and figures of musicians and dancers. There are two sub-shrines dedicated to Gomukha and Chakreshvari near the main entrance.[39]
Vimal Shah temple
Vimal Shah temple is a square structure with towers. Saraswati devi temple, Narsinh Kesharji temple, and the Samavasaran temple, with 108 life-sketches in sculpture, are also notable. Other notable stops are the Ashok tree, the Chaitra tree, Jaytaleti, four-faced idol of Mahavira, and the artwork related to Kumarpal, Vimalshah and Samprati.
108 feet (33m) idol of Adinath
A modern temple, Samvatsarana, was built at the base of the hills of the main temple complex by Tapa Gachha initiative. It has a small museum at the lower level.[9][13]Ashtapadh temple is depiction Ashtapadh (Mount Kailash) where Adinatha is believed to have attained moksha.[40]
In the shrines, on a pedestal, are large figures of Mahavira, sitting with feet crossed in front, like those of Buddha, often decorated with gems, gold plates, and silver.[41] The Adinath temple has an image 2.16 metres (7ft 1in) in height of a white-coloured idol in the Padmasana posture. The main iconic image of Adinath, carved in fine piece of marble, has crystal eyes. Devotees offer flowers and sandal paste to the deity as they approach the statue for worship. The quadrangle opposite in front of the temples is elaborately designed. There is another shrine opposite to Adishwara temple is dedicated to Pundarik Swami.
After visiting Adishwara, a temple similar in design, Dilwara temple, is located to the right of the steps used for descending from the main shrine, built in marble. In this temple, Suparswanatha is carved in the centre of a cube-shaped column; Adinatha and Parswanatha adorn the top and bottom of the column. Carvings on the ceiling, floor and the column are very elegantly sculpted. Parswanatha Temple is located in front of this temple.
In 2016, a 108 feet idol of Adinath(Rishabhnatha) was installed.[42][43]
Renovations
There have been frequent renovations and many of them are dated to the 16th century. New temples continue to be built here.[44] Renovations occurred at least 16 times during the avasarpinikala (the descending half of the wheel of time):[45][23][46]
It is believed that the 17th renovation will occur in future.[47]
Religious practices
The entrance to the temples
Most devout Jains prefer to walk up, but elderly pilgrims sometimes opt for a pallanquin (doli) to be manually carried from the town to the hilltop. The temples remain closed for the devotees during the monsoon season. In the month of Phalguna (February/March), Jain pilgrims take a longer route, one passing through five sacred temple sites over a distance of 45 kilometres (28mi).[citation needed]
The Palitana temples are in clusters traditionally known as tunks (tuks, tonks). As a religious practice they cover their mouth while offering puja to the tirthankaras at the temples so that they don't hurt any insects by swallowing them with an open mouth. Also, for this reason they do not offer open lighted lamps but offer aarti with covered lanterns. The religious practice also involves pilgrimage by fasting throughout the journey to and from the shrines. They also build their temples in white marble to demonstrate purity.[48] Silence and prayers are the order of the day when one is climbing up the hills on pilgrimage.[49] Fasting continues until they have returned to the auditorium of Anandji Kalyanji Trust at the foothill.
Every devout Jain aspires to climb to the top of the mountain at least once in their lifetime in efforts to attain nirvana, due to its sanctity. The code for the climbers is stringent, in keeping with the rigours of the Jain faith. Food must neither be eaten nor carried on the way. The descent must begin before it is evening, for no soul can remain atop the sacred mountain during the night. The Shatrunjaya hills are considered by many Jains to be more sacred than the temple-covered hills of Jharkhand, Mount Abu and Girnar.
Festivals
On one special day (Fagun Sud 13), which commonly falls in February/March, thousands of Jain followers visit the temple complex to attain salvation. Three times as many pilgrims come at this time, which is also called "6 Gaon".[50] The special festival day is the "Chha Gau Teerth Yatra" at the temple complex held on Purnima day (Full Moon Day) of Kartika month according to the Jain calendar, Vira Nirvana Samvat (October–November as per the Gregorian Calendar). Jains, in very large numbers assemble on this day at the temple complex on the hills as it opens after 4 months of closure during the monsoon season. During this pilgrimage, considered a great event in the lifetime of devout Jain, pilgrims circumambulate the Shatunitjaya Hills covering a distance of 21.6km on foot to offer prayers to Adinatha on the Kartik Poornima Day at the top of the hill.[51]
Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, the birthday of Mahāvīra, is a notable festival celebrated at the temple complex. A procession carrying images of the tirthankara is made in huge decorated chariots, concurrently accompanied by religious ceremonies in the temples. Rituals include fasting and giving alms to the poor.[44]
Navanu, the 99-fold pilgrimage
Navanu is the Jain tradition of repeated pilgrimages to Shatrunjaya hills and Palitana temples. This pilgrimages are typically started in small groups by girls or boys in late teens or early twenties. It includes a period of ascetic practices such as fasting (varshi tap, updhan and others). According to Anadji Kalyanji Trust, an average of 3000 pilgrims every year visit the Palitana temples on Navanu pilgrimage.[52]
Other religions
According to Cousens, the earliest structures and those with pre-15th century architecture were few and spread out. These were mostly Jaina structure, The Hindu temple was constructed by the Jains for the purpose of convenience of the Hindu Priests who managed the Jain temples. There are different beliefs amongst Jains as well as Hindus for the same people. One of the example is the Panch Pandavs. As per Jain texts, these 5 Pandavas came to Palitana / Shatrunjay to attain Moksha. However, as per Mahabharata, these five men meditated in Himalayas in their last days. The Panch Pandava temple behind the Chaumukhi temple is constructed by Jains as per their belief. The Bhulavani temple is dedicated as Yaksha / Yakshini of the Jain temple, and space where the Kumarpala temple now stands in the Vimala Vasi Tuk. Another example is of Shri Krishna Vasudev. As per Jainism, there are 63 Shalaka Purush. Vasudevs is a type of Shalaka Purush and Shri Krishna was the last Vasudev in this time cycle. Shri Krishna was a cousin of Jain's 22rd Tirthankar - Neminath. So, in temples and artwork of Neminatha, Hindu god Krishna is reverentially included in the temples as they are believed to be cousins by the Jain community.
Along the trail from the town to the entrance of the Palitana temples fort walls, there are several small Hindu shrines, typically near rest spaces. These include the Hingraj Ambikadevi (known as Hinglaj Mata), a shrine to Devaki of Krishna fame remembering Kansa legend in black marble, and a small temple to the Hindu deity Hanuman of the Ramayana fame near the spot where the trail splits towards the two gates. Since these characters in the legendary history were real, Jains and Hindus do have different faiths and beliefs. They cannot be labelled as pure Hindu or pure Jain figures. There is reference of Devki as a Sati in Jain texts, so it is but obvious that these shrines were carved out by Jains based on their belief.
Also, on the summit, there is a tomb of a Muslim by the name of Hengar, also called the shrine of Angarsa Pir or Angar Pir. It is unknown who he was and why his tomb (dargah) is on the Shatrujaya hill near the entrance of one of the fort walls. Neither Islamic records or inscriptions of Gujarat nor Jain literature mention him. According to the site research completed by James Burgess, Hengar threw a mace at Adinatha statue and damaged it, but was struck dead in the attempt. Haunted by the death and the dead body, the Jain priests decided to give his bones a burial and entombed him. In contemporary times, a new story has been offered by the caretaker of the dargah, one that claims that he argued with Sultans on behalf of the Jains and prevented damage to the Palitana temples during the Muslim invasions. This story of AngarSha protecting the Palitana temples is mentioned very well in many history books, books of Mughals poets as well as Jain texts. However, few do not believe this story and want to imagine things otherwise. Jain temples of Palitana are mentioned in texts, posters, drawings dating back to 8th and 9th century. However, there is no mention of Palitana or Shatrunjay in any of the Hindu texts. The Hindu texts, revolve and evolved around Himalayas as well as North and North plains of India.
Gallery
Adishwar Temple
A temple in Palitana temples complex
Palitana temples complex
Palitana Temples distant view
Temple Inside Chaumukhji Tonk
Samovsaran Mandir, a modern temple and museum at the base of the hills (Tapa Gaccha subtradition of Jains)[13]
↑ Bharata installed 24 life-size idols of all 24 Tirthankaras along with an image of himself and his 99 brothers. The location of this temple is unclear. In Jain Literature dated to the second half of the 1st millennium, such as the Āvaśyaka Niryukti, gāthā 435, it is identified as Mount Ashtapada, a mythical mountain in Himalayas. Hemchandra identified the location of first Jain temple with Shatrunjaya. Ashtapada is frequently identified with Mount Kailash now.[18]:15, 97
↑ Mythistory is the synthesis of myth and history.[22]
↑ These include the Rama of Ramayana fame, and the Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata fame.[23]
↑ This is not found in Digambara canonical literature.
↑ Another Jain text that records this destruction and reconstruction is the Nabhinandanoddhara. This text, states Phyllis Granoff – a scholar of Indian religion and history, is contemporaneous to the Palitana temples destruction by Allaudin Khilji. It commemorates their restoration by the Jain layperson Samara, and celebrates those artisans and Jains who had the courage to rebuild the temples despite personal danger before the Sultan.[28]
↑ This gift states that Shatrunjaya is a place of worship and pilgrimage for the Hindus [Jains were considered Hindus by Muslim rulers], and no government official shall interfere with these worshippers and pilgrims in any way. This order was later clarified to include an exemption from taxes and demands on the temples and pilgrims.[30]
The Śvetāmbara is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. Śvetāmbara in Sanskrit means "white-clad", and refers to its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara or "sky-clad" Jains whose ascetic practitioners go nude. Śvetāmbaras do not believe that ascetics must practice nudity.
Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages for Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankar, Lord Neminath attained nirvana along with other five hundred and thirty three enlightened sages. This is well described in ancient texts such as Kalpa Sūtra written by acharya Bhadrabāhu.
The Dilwara Temples or Delvada Temples are a group of Śvētāmbara Jain temples located about 2+1⁄2 kilometres from the Mount Abu settlement in Sirohi District, Rajasthan's only hill station. The earliest were built by Vimal Shah, a Jain minister of Solanki king of Gurjaratra, Bhima I and additions to the temples were made by Vastupala, Jain minister of Vaghelas of Gurjaratra. They date between the 11th and 16th centuries, forming some of the most famous monuments in the style of Solanki architecture, famous for their use of a very pure white marble and intricate marble carvings. They are managed by Seth Shri Kalyanji Anandji Pedhi, Sirohi and are a pilgrimage place for Jains, and a significant general tourist attraction. The Dilwara temples are regarded as the most impressive among Jain temples in Rajasthan.
Shikharji, also known as Sammet or Sammed Shikharji, is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Jains, in Giridih district, Jharkhand. It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. It is the most important Jain Tirtha, for it is the place where twenty of the twenty-four Jain tirthankaras along with many other monks attained Moksha. It is one of the five principal pilgrimage destinations along with Girnar, Pawapuri, Champapuri, Dilwara, Palitana and Ashtapad Kailash.
Parshvanatha, or Pārśva and Pārasanātha, was the 23rd of 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism. Parshvanath is one of the earliest Tirthankara who is acknowledged as a historical figure. The Jain sources place him between the 9th and 8th centuries BCE whereas historians consider that he lived in the 8th or 7th century BCE.
Rishabhanatha, also Rishabhadeva, Rishabha or Ikshvaku, is the first tirthankara of Jainism. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology, and called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. The legends depict him as having lived millions of years ago. He was the spiritual successor of Sampratti Bhagwan, the last Tirthankara of the previous time cycle. He is also known as Ādinātha, as well as Adishvara, Yugadideva, Prathamarajeshwara and Nabheya. He is also known as Ikshvaku, establisher of the Ikshvaku dynasty. Along with Mahavira, Parshvanath, Neminath, and Shantinath, Rishabhanatha is one of the five Tirthankaras that attract the most devotional worship among the Jains.
Taranga is a Jain pilgrimage center near Kheralu in Mehsana district, Gujarat, India, with two compounds of Jain temples that are important examples of the Māru-Gurjara style of architecture. The Ajitnatha temple, was constructed in 1161 by the Solanki king Kumarapala, under the advice of his teacher, Acharya Hemachandra. Both the main sects of Jainism are represented, with adjoining walled compounds: the Śvetāmbara compound consists of 14 temples in all, and there are also five Digambara-affiliated temples at Taranga hill.
Pavagadh is a municipal operated region in Panchmahal district about 46 kilometres (29 mi) away from Vadodara in Gujarat state in western India. It is known for a famous Mahakali temple which is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and draws thousands of pilgrims every day. However, as per records, this was originally a Jain temple belonging to the Svetambara Achalgaccha sect, whose Adhistayika Mahakali's idol was installed here in the 12th century. This locality Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Shankheshwar is a town in the Patan district of Gujarat state of India. It is an important place of pilgrimage for the followers of Jainism.
A Jain temple, Derasar or Basadi is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings generally reflect the prevailing style of the place and time they were built.
The Shankheshwar Jain Temple is located in the center of Shankheshwar town of Patan district, Gujarat, India. The temple is dedicated to Parshwanath and is an important place of pilgrimage for the followers of Jainism.
Ranakpur Jain temple or Chaturmukha Dharana Vihara is a Śvētāmbara Jain temple at Ranakpur dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha. The temple is located in a village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan. It is a major pilgrimage place for Śvetāmbara community.
Mahakali Mata Temple is a Hindu goddess temple complex and pilgrim centre at the summit of Pavagadh Hill in Panchmahal District, India, with in the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park.The Goddess Kalika Mata was being initially worshipped by local Bhil and Koli people, until She was later invoked and installed by Vishvamitra on the top of Pavagadh Hill. Here, She is worshipped in the form of Durga or Chandi. Here, in the temple, the Kali Yantra is worshipped. It dates from the 10th or 11th centuries. The temple has three images of goddesses: the central image is of Mahakali Mata, flanked by Kali on the right and Bahucharamata on the left. The idol of Mahakali originally belongs to the Achalgacch of Svetambara sect of Jains that was established on the hill in the 12th century, installing the Mahakali devi as the Adishtayika of the newly formed Achalgacch. Pavagadh was an Ancient Jain Tirtha. On Chitra sud 8, a fair is held at the temple which is attended by thousands of devotees. The temple is the site of one of the 51 Great holy Shakti Peethas. One can easily reach the temple by ropeway.
Shatrunjaya or Shetrunjaya originally Pundarikgiri, are hills located by the city of Palitana, in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. They are situated on the banks of the Shetrunji River at an elevation 164 feet (50 m) above sea level. These hills have similarities to other hills where Jain temples have been built in Bihar, Gwalior, Mount Abu and Girnar.
Pālītāṇā is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre for Jains. It is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world.
Chandraprabha or Chandranatha is the eighth Tirthankara of Tīrthaṅkara of Jainism in the present age. According to traditional accounts, he was born to King Mahasena and Queen Lakshmana Devi at Chandrapuri to the Ikshvaku dynasty. According to Jain texts, his birth-date was the twelfth day of the Posh Krishna month of the Indian calendar. He is said to have become a siddha, a liberated soul which has destroyed all of its karma.
There is a group of temples of Jainism on Mount Girnar near Junagadh in Junagadh district, Gujarat, India. While almost all the temples belong to the Śvetāmbara sect, some also belong to the Digambara sect. The hill and some of the temples are considered sacred by both Digambara and the Śvetāmbara branches of Jainism.
The Shantinath Jain temple is located in Kothara village of Kutch district, Gujarat, India. The temple is dedicated to the 16th Tirthankara Shantinatha and is an important place of pilgrimage for the followers of Jainism.
Jain temples, Pavagadh is a group of seven Jain temples located in Pavagadh Hill in the state of Gujarat. These temples are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park.
Kalyansagarsuri was a 16th century Jain ascetic, reformer, philosopher, and researcher belonging to the Achal Gaccha of the Śvetāmbara Murtipujaka sect of Jainism.
↑ Ku, Hawon (2014). "Representations of Ownership: The Nineteenth-Century Painted Maps of Shatrunjaya, Gujarat". Journal of South Asian Studies. 37 (1). Taylor & Francis: 3–21. doi:10.1080/00856401.2013.852289. S2CID145090864.
↑ Joseph Mali (1991), Jacob Burckhardt: Myth, History and Mythistory, History and Memory, Vol. 3, No. 1, Indiana University Press, pp. 86–118JSTOR25618612
Julia Hegewald (2015), "The International Jaina style?, Maru-Gurjara Temples under the Solankis, throughout India and in the Diaspora", Ars Orientalis, 45, Smithsonian, Freer Gallery of Art
Kanchansagarsuri, Acharya (1982), Shri Shatrunjay Giriraj Darshan in Sculptures and Architecture, Aagamoddharak Granthmala
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
