Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

, a ''tīrtha'' ( sa, तीर्थ " ford, a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

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 ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriology, ...

''. Jain ''tirthas'' are located throughout India. Often a ''tirtha'' has a number of temples as well as residences (dharmashala) for the pilgrims and wandering monks and scholars.

Types

''Tirtha'' sites include: * ''Siddhakshetra''s or site of ''

'' liberation of an '' arihant'' (''kevalin'') or

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a 'ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable passag ...

s like Ashtapada Hill, Shikharji, Girnar, Pawapuri, Palitana, Mangi-Tungi and Champapuri (capital of

Anga Anga (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts ...

) * ''Atishayakshetra''s where divine events have occurred like

Mahavirji Shri Mahavir Ji is an important and prominent Jain pilgrimage site situated in Shri Mahaveer Ji (town), Shri Mahaveerji town in Hindaun Block, Karauli district in Rajasthan. Given the importance of the religious place, the Indian Railways has ...

Rishabhdeo Rikhabdeo (aka Rishabhadeo) is a census town in Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan, in north-west India. Rishabhadeo is situated from Udaipur and is on Udaipur-Ahmedabad Road. The name of the town is also Dhulev The place got its name ...

, Kundalpur,

Aharji 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. Aharji Jain Teerth Aharji is a place full ...

etc. * ''Puranakshetra''s associated with lives of great men like

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...

, Vidisha,

Hastinapur Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'', described in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom, is also mentioned in ancient Jain tex ...

, and

Rajgir Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the d ...

* ''Gyanakshetra'': associated with famous ''

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 ...

s'' or centers of learning like

Mohankheda Mohan Kheda is a Svetambara Jain tirtha (pilgrimage place) located in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh in India. The site is situated from Indore and from Dhar on the Indore-Ahmedabad Highway. It was established by Acharya Rajendrasuri (182 ...

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage des ...

and

Ladnu Ladnu, also Ladnun, is a city and a municipality, nearby Nagaur city in Nagaur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a Tehsil headquarters of Nagaur district. This city is famous as the birthplace of sacred Jain Aacharya Tulsi. It i ...

Locations

Geographically, the ''tirthas'' are divided into six quarters:Bharat ke Digambar Jain Tirth, Volume 1, Balbhadra Jain, 1974 * North India:

Taxila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...

, and Ashtapada * South India:

Sankighatta Sankighatta, The name comes from Settra + Ghatta = Settraghatta and is pronounced as Sankighatta. In Kannada language Settra (Settru family) + Ghatta (Place) literal meaning is ""place of Settru"". Dallina Vardaman Mahaveera Thirtankara is th ...

Moodabidri Moodabidri ( kn, ಮೂಡುಬಿದಿರೆ ''Mūḍubidire''; also called Mudbidri, Moodbidre and Bedra), is a town and taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. It lies 34 km northeast of the district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnat ...

Humbaj Humcha / Hombuja is a small village near Ripponpet, Hosanagara taluk in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Humbaja Atishaya Jain Teerth Kshetra is famous for being home to an ancient temple of Goddess Padmavati, and to the Humb ...

Anantnath Swami Temple Anantnath Swami Temple (also known as the Puliyarmala Jain Temple is a Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district in the state of Kerala in India. It is dedicated to Anantnath Swami, a Tirthankar of the ...

Gummileru Gummileru is a village in Konaseema district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Alamuru mandal A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia ...

* Eastern India: Shikharji, Pawapuri, Champapuri,

Pundravardhana Pundravardhana or Pundra Kingdom ( sa, Puṇḍravardhana), was an ancient kingdom during the Iron Age period in India with a territory that included parts of present-day Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions of Bangladesh as well as the West Dinaj ...

* Western India: Palitana, Girnar,

Mount Abu Mount Abu () is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India.The mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at above s ...

Shankheshwar 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. History The village is considered a place of great antiquity. Jain Acharya Merutunga had mentioned t ...

, Mahudi * Central India: Vidisha, Kundalpur,

Sonagiri Sonagiri ( hi, सोनागिरी) or Swarnagiri about 60 km from Gwalior, has scores of Jain temples dating from the 9th century onwards. It is located in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, India. This location is popular among ...

Muktagiri 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 from Paratwada in Amravati district. Jain temple It is believe ...

* Overseas:

Siddhachalam Siddhachalam is the first Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) located outside of India. Founded in 1983 by Sushil Kumar, it is located on a 108-acre (44ha) site in rural New Jersey, United States. Siddhachalam (Hindi: ''siddha'', liberated souls; ...

Nava Ashtapada The Jain Center of America (JCA) was the first Jain temple organized and registered in America, in 1976, and is the oldest Jain temple in the Western hemisphere. The temple is located at 43-11 Ithaca Street, in Elmhurst, Queens, Elmhurst, Queens, ...

Siddhayatan Siddhayatan, is a Jain-Hindu Tirth (pilgrimage site) in North America founded in 2008 by Acharya Shree Yogeesh. It is located on a site at Windom near Dallas, Texas, United States. Siddhayatan currently has miniatured versions of pilgrimage site ...

Types

Locations

See also

References

External links