Paporaji, also called Pampapur, a temple site in
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, 5 km east of
Tikamgarh
Tikamgarh is a Census town#India, town and a tehsil in Tikamgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city serves as a district headquarters. The earlier name of Tikamgarh was Tehri (i.e., a triangle) consisting of three hamlet ...
. The site is a center for the
Jain religion. This is an atishaya kshetra ("miraculous holy place"), with 108 shrines.
History
Poporaji is more than eight hundred years old. The site has two basements; one of them has three idols. The idol of Bhagwan Adinath is made of shining black stone and is two feet and eight inches in height. Idols inside are also in same color and stone. Two of the three Adinath idols were installed in V.S. 1202 (AD 1145) according to the inscriptions on them and are oldest at this
Kshetra
Tirtha ( sa, तीर्थ, ) is a Sanskrit word that means "crossing place, ford", and refers to any place, text or person that is holy. It particularly refers to pilgrimage sites and holy places in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The proc ...
.
In 1783, the ruler of Orchha Vikramajit (1776–1817) shifted his capital from
Orchha
Orchha is a town, near city of Niwari in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of covering parts of c ...
to Tehri and renamed it
Tikamgarh
Tikamgarh is a Census town#India, town and a tehsil in Tikamgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city serves as a district headquarters. The earlier name of Tikamgarh was Tehri (i.e., a triangle) consisting of three hamlet ...
, which is in the vicinity of Papora. An inscription of Vikrama 1840 (AD 1784) suggests that the site then had emerged as a tirtha. Motilal Varni (an associate of
Ganesh Varni
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu de ...
), had established a religious school which has produced several distinguished scholars like Darbari Lal Kothia. He had donated his own collection of handwritten manuscripts to the school.
Architecture
The oldest temples mainly from 18th and 19th century, are in the part termed Prachina Samucchaya, which includes two underground chambers (
bhoyras
Three historical idols of Lord Adinath belonging to 1145(VS 1202) in the underground chamber at Paporaji
In Jainism, a Bhonyra ( pra, भोंयरा , sa, भूमिगृह ) is an underground chamber with Jain images. In the past, i ...
) from the 12th century. In 1860 AD, a unique cluster of 24 temples was constructed. At the same time the chariot-shaped temple that serves as the grand entrance gate was constructed. A number of temples were constructed in 1965. Many temples have notable old and modern wall paintings. Temple construction has gradually continues, with a circular Bahubali temple being among the recent ones.
Prayers and worship take place in the temple basement and in Chandraprabhu Mandir, with an idol dated samvat 1524 that is regarded to be helpful in materializing the desires of pilgrims. The temple of Lord Parshvanath contains a unique image of Padmavati devi.
In addition to the 108 temples, there exists a school and a library founded by Motilal Varni, an Udasina Ashrama and a hostel for the students. Four dharmashalas, a rest house and a dining hall is also in the tirth kshetra compound.
Atishaya – Here exists an ancient little pond. It is said that when pilgrims dropped a paper listing of required utensils in this pond, the utensils were received from the pond and used by the pilgrims. After use and cleaning, these utensils were returned to the pond and utensils thus disappeared back into the water. This miracle is not seen nowadays because one person did not return the utensils received from the pond.
[Bharat Ke Digambar Jain Tirth, Pt. 3, Balbhadra Jain, Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Tirthkshetra Committee, Bharatiya Janapitha, 1976, p. 105-116]
Here is a well known as ‘Patrakhan Well’. It is said that an old woman organized a party on the completion of a big temple (Temple No.-1) in samvat 1872. Suddenly the water of the well was finished and lack of water for guests was felt. Then that old women entered the well and reached the bottom. Then as she started her heartfelt prayers, water began flowing in the well and as the old woman was lifted from the well, the level of water also increased simultaneously. Thus the honor of that old sacred woman was kept. This well still exists near the mess of school here.
Administration
The administration and day-to-day activities of Paporaji are controlled by the Shri Digamber Jain Atishay Kshetra Paporaji Prabhandhkarini Committee. The committee is renewed every five years by general election.
Gallery
Papauraji_Bhoyra_Idols.jpg, Three historical idols of Lord Adinath belonging to 1145(VS 1202) in the underground chamber
Papauraji Varni Motilal.jpg, Motilal Varni Sarasvati Sadan Plaque
PaporaTemples.jpg, Some of the temples at Paoraji
See also
*
Bandhaji
Bandhaji is a historic Jain tirtha about 35 km from Tikamgarh.
History
The 900 year old black colored idol of principal deity Bhagwan Ajitnatha is installed in a basement of Shri Bandhaji Atishaya Kshetra. According to historical and arch ...
*
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 ...
*
Nainagiri
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 wh ...
*
Navagarh
Navagarh is a Jain Tirth (pilgrimage site for Jainism) 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 nor ...
*
badagaon
Badagaon Dhasan is a town and a Nagar Parishad (City Council) in Tikamgarh district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Demographics
India census, Badagaon had a population of 18,584. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48% ...
References
{{Authority control
Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh
18th-century Jain temples
Tourist attractions in Tikamgarh district