Raja Harsukh Rai (early 19th century) the chief of the Agrawal community, and a builder of several Jain temples in and around Delhi, was the imperial treasurer during Sam. 1852-Sam. 1880. When

Shahjahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

constructed his now capital city at Delhi in the 17th century, he invited several Jain financiers to come and settle there. They included Sah Dipchand of Hissar, an Agrawal Jain, who constructed 16 havelis for his 16 sons in Dariba Kalan, south of

Chandni Chowk The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was b ...

. According to other accounts he was invited by

Shah Alam II Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar (or Ali Gauhar), was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. His powe ...

and had five sons. Harsukh Rai, one of his descendants, was chosen to be the official treasurer by Emperor

, and was given the title

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

. Harsukh Rai constructed a large and ornate Jain temple in the Dharampura locality of Old Delhi in 1807 during the rule of Mughal Emperor

Akbar II Akbar II (; 22 April 1760 – 28 September 1837), also known as Akbar Shah II, was the Nineteenth Mughal emperor of India. He reigned from 1806 to 1837. He was the second son of Shah Alam II and the father of Bahadur Shah II Akbar had litt ...

with a cost of about 8 Lakh rupees, then an enormous amount. He was able to obtain the royal permission to construct a shikhara for the temple for the first time during the Mughal rule. Thus temple is known as the Naya Mandir (new temple), since an older Jain temple, now known as the

Lal Mandir Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir () is the oldest and best-known Jain temple in Delhi, India. It is directly across from the Red Fort in the historical Chandni Chowk area. The temple is known for an avian veterinary hospital, called the Jain Bird ...

already existed. When the temple construction was almost finished, Harsukh Rai stopped the construction. When the representatives of the Agrawal Jain community approached him and asked about it, he claimed that he has run out of money and needed donations from the community to finish the construction. After accepting modest donations, Harsukh Rai declared the temple to be panchayati (i.e. belonging to the community, rather than himself) and finished the construction. During the festivities of temple consecration ( Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha), the festive pandal was raided by a local group and the gold and silver objects (chhatra, chamar, utensils) were plundered. Harsukh Rai complained to the Emperor, who ordered that they be returned. In Samvat 1867, he wanted to obtain the imperial permission for a rath-yatra (religious procession) that was traditionally prohibited. He had the Sunehri Masjid regilded. As a reward, he asked the emperor permission to have the rath-yatra. He and his son Raja Suganchand built numerous Jain temples at *Patparganj *Hastinapur *Karnal *Sonpat *Hissar *Panipat and *Sanganer

The Delhi Rath Yatra

During most of the Mughal period, the Jains were prohibited from taking out a religious procession. In 1810, Harsukh Rai was able to obtain the permission of the emperor to have a Jain religious procession. The Rath Yatra caused considerable resentment among the non-Jains and resulted in some disturbances. In 1877, after the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

, the Jains (called

Sarawagi The Sarawagi or Saraogi or Sarawgi Jain community, meaning a Jain Śrāvaka, is also known as the Khandelwal. They originated from Khandela, a historical town in northern Rajasthan. The Sarawagi community owes its name to a strong historical a ...

in the records) again sought permission to take out a permission to take out a procession with "50 musicians, one elephant carrying a banner, seven camels bearing flags, fifty

palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...

s, three chariots ..". This was again opposed by other religious groups which warned about "riots, looting, murder" etc. Eventually the Jains were able to take out the procession, but only through side-streets.

Prachin Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat

Seth Girdhari Lal, the son of Raja Shugan Chand, founded the organization Hissar Panipat Agarwal Jain Panchayat. It is now known as Prachin (i.e. old) Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat. It is the oldest Agrawal Jain organization. It has been led by descendants of same family. The organization manages the historical Naya Mandir as well as the

. The Panchayat has been active in promoting unity among Jains of different sectarian backgrounds.Ahimsa Times, February, 2005, DIGAMBAR JAIN ORGANISATION IN DELHI BECOMES A PIONEER PATH BREAKER FOR UNITY IN JAIN SOCIETY, http://jainsamaj.org/magazines/ahimsatimesshow.php?id=85

References

External links

Hastinapur Prachin Digamber Jain Temple

Shri Digambar Jain Teerth Kshetra Hastinapur

Exploring Shahjahanabad: A walk in Old Delhi

* Mansions to Margins: Modernity and the Domestic Landscapes of Historic Delhi, 1847-1910, Jyoti Hosagrahar, The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2001), pp. 26-45 {{coord missing, Delhi Tourist attractions in Delhi 19th-century Indian Jains

The Delhi Rath Yatra

Prachin Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat

See also

References

External links