Acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...

Aryanandi was a prominent

Jain monk Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community and can be divided into two major denominations: the ''Digambara'' and the ''Śvētāmbara''. The monastic practices of the two major sects vary greatly, but the maj ...

of the early 20th century. He is best known for his work in establishing several Jain schools in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Several Jain monks before him have also been named Aryanandi.

Biography

Acharya Aryanandi was born in the village of Dhorkin Also Known As Aryanandi Nagar , Paithan, Aurangabad district,

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India. He has been the only

Jain acharya ''Āchārya'' () means the Head of an order of ascetics. Some of the famous achāryas are Bhadrabahu, Kundakunda, Samantabhadra, Umaswami, Sthulibhadra. In Digambara Jainism, ''Āchārya'' has thirty-six primary attributes (''mūla guṇa'') c ...

from the

Saitwal Saitwal (or Swahitwal) is a Digambara Jain community of Maharashtra. Swahitwal means that they work for the benefit of their inner self (Swa+hit+wal). Saitwal community is largely concentrated in Maharashtra state, though people from Saitwal com ...

community in recent times. He was married in 1927 and had three children, however in 1953 he retired and decided to give up the worldly life. He was He took the brahmacharya vrata from Acharya Shantisagar in 1955. He was initiated as a muni by Muni Samanthabhadra at Kunthalgiri, Maharashtra, on 13 November 1959. He took sallekhana on 8 February 2000 at Navagad (Parbhani).आचार्य श्री १०८ आर्यनंदी जी महाराज, 2012
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Contributions

He was held in high esteem and is best remembered for the setting up of several Jain schools in Maharashtra, including the Acharya Arya Nandi Lecture Hall in

Ellora Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 m ...

, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra. The Jain Gurukul at Ellora was also established by him. The noted German Jainologist, Hermann Kuhn, studied

Jain scriptures Jain literature (Sanskrit: जैन साहित्य) 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 ca ...

extensively under the tutelage of Acharya Aryanandi.

References

External links

Aryanandi Educational and Charitable Trust

Shri Parshvanatha Brahmacharyashram, Gurukul
Jain acharyas 1907 births 2000 deaths People from Maharashtra Indian Jain monks 20th-century Indian Jains 20th-century Jain monks 20th-century Indian monks {{Jainism-stub

Biography

Contributions

See also

References

External links