Kumbhoj is the name of an ancient town located in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. The town is about eight kilometers from Hatkanangale, about twenty seven kilometers from Kolhapur and currently, also is the Taluka or Tehsil Headquarters. The famous Jain Tirtha known as Bahubali, is just two kilometers away from the Kumbhoj city.
Acharya Shri Vidyasagarji Maharaj was an Indian Digambara Jain Acharya. He was recognized both for his scholarship and tapasya (austerity). He was known for his long hours in meditation. While he was born in Karnataka and took diksha in Rajasthan, he generally spent much of his time in the Bundelkhand region where he is credited with having brought about a revival in educational and religious activities. He wrote the epic Hindi poem "Mukamati".
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.
Jainism has had a notable following in Gujarat. According to the 2011 Census of India, around 0.959% of the population of Gujarat is Jain. There are several old Jain temples that draw pilgrims from Jains around the world in places such as Palitana, Taranga, Sankheshwar, Idar.
The Ibādat Khāna was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri to gather spiritual/religious leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion and debates on the teachings of the respective religious leaders.
Acharya Vijayanand Suri, also known as Atmaramji of Gujranwala, was the first Swetambar Murtipujaka Jain monk in modern times to receive the title of Acharya. Born and raised in Punjab, he was initiated as a Sthanakvasi monk and later joined the Murtipujaka tradition. He travelled extensively in Gujarat, Rajputana and Punjab; he organised and reformed Jain community, ascetic orders and literature. He wrote several books in Hindi and was invited to the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893 which was attended by Virchand Gandhi later.
Kumarpal Balabhai Desai is an author, critic, editor, journalist, columnist and translator from Gujarat, India. He studied and later taught at the Gujarat University. He is associated with several social and Gujarati literary organisations such as Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. He has written and edited more than hundred books including biographies and several works on Jainism. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004.
Jain literature refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical Jain Agamas, which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit language. Various commentaries were written on these canonical texts by later Jain monks. Later works were also written in other languages, like Sanskrit and Maharashtri Prakrit.
Mahudi is a town in Mansa taluka of Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, India situated on the banks of Madhumati river, a tributary of Sabarmati River. It is a pilgrimage centre of Jains and other communities visiting temple of Jain deity, Ghantakarna Mahavir and Padmaprabhu Jain Temple. It was known as Madhupuri formerly.
Anand Rishiji Maharaj was a Jain religious leader. The Government of India issued a commemorative postage stamp in his honour on 9 August 2002. He was awarded with the honorary title of Rashtra Sant by Maharashtra's chief minister. He was the Second Aacharya of Vardhaman Sthanakvasi Shraman Sangha
Sukhlal Sanghvi, also known as Pandit Sukhlalji, was a Jain scholar and philosopher. He belonged to the Sthanakvasi sect of Jainism. Pandit Sukhlal lost his eyesight at the age of sixteen on account of smallpox. However, he persisted and became profoundly versed in Jain logic and rose to become a professor at Banaras Hindu University. Paul Dundas calls him one of the most incisive modern interpreters of Jain philosophy. Dundas notes that Sanghavi represents what now seems to be a virtually lost scholarly and intellectual world. He was a mentor for famous Jain scholar Padmanabh Jaini. During his lifetime he won such awards as the Sahitya Akademi Award and won recognition from the Government of India by getting Padma Bhushan award. Sukhlalji was also known as Pragnachaksu because he was so vastly learned despite being visually disabled.
Hiravijaya (1526–1595), also known as Muni Hiravijayji and Hiravijay Suri, was a high priest of the Tapa Gaccha monastic order, following the Jain Svetambara tradition. He is known for propounding the Jain philosophy to Mughal Emperor Akbar and turning him towards vegetarianism.
Bal Patil was a Jain scholar, journalist, social activist and Jain minority status advocate from Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was appointed as a member of State Minority Commission by the Govt. of Maharashtra from 2001 to 2004. He was the Secretary-General of All India Jain Minority Forum, New Delhi—a position he held until his death—and was an ardent advocate of minority status for Jainism. The Jain minority cause gained prominence when he petitioned the Supreme Court of India for the recognition of Jain religious minority status on par with other Indian minorities as per the two recommendations by the National Minorities Commission. He was also the first non-medical President of the National Society for the Prevention of Heart Disease & Rehabilitation, Mumbai. He has also authored many books on Jainism and presented several papers at various seminars and conferences.
Sushil Kumar was a Jain teacher and monk. He was a self-realized master who devoted more than 50 years to promoting non-violence, peace and knowledge of the self.
Jainism is an Indian religion which is traditionally believed to be propagated by twenty-four spiritual teachers known as tirthankara. Broadly, Jainism is divided into two major schools of thought, Digambara and Śvetāmbara. These are further divided into different sub-sects and traditions. While there are differences in practices, the core philosophy and main principles of each sect is the same.
Swami Vishwadevanand Puri was a Hindu monk and a traditional teacher of Advaita Vedanta. He founded the Vishwakalyan Foundation Trust in Haridwar.
Acharya Chandana, known as Tai Maharaj by her devotees, is an Indian Jain nun of the Amarmuni Sampradaya. Chandana is the first Jain sadhvi to be awarded the title of Acharya and the Padma Shri. Chandana is known for her social engagement and for popularising the notion of 'seva' among the Jain community. She is the founder of Veerayatan, a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Rajgir with centers in over ten countries.
Panyas Chandrashekhar Vijayji Maharaj Saheb, also known as Gurudev or Guruma, was a Jain monk, scholar and author. Born and educated in Mumbai, he was initiated as a monk who was later designated Panyas. He was involved in religious as well as sociopolitical activities. He founded several institutions and authored 261 books.
