Shri Mahavir Ji is an important and prominent
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an 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 time cycle being ...
pilgrimage site situated in
Shri Mahaveerji town in
Hindaun Block,
Karauli district
Karauli District is a district of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Karauli is the district headquarters. Karauli District comes under Bharatpur division, Bharatpur Divisional Commissionerate. Karauli is famous for popular red-stone.
Th ...
in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. Given the importance of the religious place, the
Indian Railways
Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
has specifically developed a railway station under
West Central Railway zone by the name of
Shri Mahaveerji railway station which is 10 minutes drive from the temple and temple authorities have arranged for regular buses from station to the temple. The temple is visited by millions of Jain and
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
devotees every year.
Main temple
There are five temples in Shri Mahavirji. Atishaya Kshetra Shri Mahavirji is considered one of the miraculous pilgrimages of Jains. This pilgrimage is situated at banks of
Gambhir river in
Hindaun Block of
Karauli district
Karauli District is a district of Rajasthan in western India. The town of Karauli is the district headquarters. Karauli District comes under Bharatpur division, Bharatpur Divisional Commissionerate. Karauli is famous for popular red-stone.
Th ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. Built at the bank of a river, this pilgrimage is a prominent centre of devotion for Jain devotees. Chandanpur Mahavirji temple is hailed as the heart of pilgrimages. The temple is visited by millions of Jain and Hindu devotees every year.
The temple trust extends various charitable and philanthropic services such as dispensary, aushadhalaya (pharmacy), school, library, rehabilitation center, promotion and extension of education, cultural and literary activities, scholarships, and research and study in
Prakrit
The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
language. The temple also has a naturopathy and yoga center.
In 2022,
Mahamastakabhisheka
The ''Mahamastakabhisheka'' ("Grand Consecration", "The Great Indian Festival") refers to the '' abhiṣeka'' (anointment) of the Jain images when held on a large scale. The most famous of such consecrations is the anointment of the Bahubali ...
() is being organised here after 24 years and a statue of
Mahavira has been installed here.
History
The temple was constructed by a Jain merchant, Shri Amar Chand Bilala, in the 17th century upon discovery of the idol of
Mahavira. This is a sacred place of the tradition of Jainism. Mahavirji was also had a
Bhattaraka seat which became defunct in 1970.
Discovery of the statue
![Mahavir](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Mahavir.jpg)
The main temple contains the statue of lord
Mahavira and few others. The 'Mulnayak pratima' (main statue) is nearly 78 cm high and is carved out of sandstone. In this statue lord
Mahavira is sitting in
padmasana posture.
The iconic idol of Lord
Mahavira, the principal deity of the pilgrimage temple, was found during an excavation. It was later found to be more than 1000 years old. A
Gurjar
Gurjar or Gujjar (also transliterated as ''Gujar, Gurjara and Gujjer'') is an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community, spread mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were tra ...
dairy farmer named Krapa Ram noticed that one of his cows was always dry of milk. When cow belonging used to pour out its milk every day upon a mound near Chandanpur village. It was surprising for the owner of that cow and the villagers. They excavated the mound and found the idol of lord Mahaveer. The villagers dedicated themselves to building a small hut over the idol where the idol was found. The place is now known as ''devata-ka tilla'' or ''chharan chatri''. The news of the miracles idol spread and a Jain merchant, Shri Amar Chand Bilala visited the site and realised that it was a Jain idol. The King of Jaipur tried to execute the merchant but was saved by the miracles of the idol. Shri Amar Chand Bilala constructed a vast & magnificent temple here.
According to legends, while trying to move the idol on a chariot to the temple constructed a few yards from the excavation site, the chariot did not move. Amar Chand Bilala prayed the idol to move and the god replied that the chariot will move when ''Krapa Ram'' pushes the cart. At the site where the idol was excavated a small shrine ''chharan chatri'' with the representation of the footprint of the deity was constructed. The shrine is still managed by the family of Krapa Ram.
Architecture
![Chandragupt's sixteen dreams](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Chandragupt%27s_sixteen_dreams.jpeg/1200px-Chandragupt%27s_sixteen_dreams.jpeg)
The main temple of Shri Mahaverji is a vast & magnificent ornamented structure constructed using marble and red sandstone. The temple exterior plan follows
Māru-Gurjara architecture
Māru-Gurjara architecture, Chaulukya style or Solaṅkī style, is the style of West Indian temple architecture that originated in Gujarat and Rajasthan from the 11th to 13th centuries, under the Chaulukya dynasty (also called Solaṅkī dyna ...
. The temple is built in
Nagara architecture
Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many varieties of style, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''garbha griha'' or womb-chamber, where ...
. The structure has
oblong
An oblong is a non-square rectangle.
Oblong may also refer to:
Places
* Oblong, Illinois, a village in the United States
* Oblong Township, Crawford County, Illinois, United States
* A strip of land on the New York-Connecticut border in the Unit ...
and canopied
chhatris
''Chhatri'' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they serve as decorative elements. The earliest example of chhatri being used in the ...
. Temple has multiple cusped
arches that are supported by pillars and the
spandrel
A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...
is decorated with fringe pattern. The temple has three pinnacles each bearing golden ''
kalasha
A kalasha, also spelled kalash or kalasa, also called ghat or ghot ( sa, कलश , Telugu: కలశము Kannada: ಕಳಶ literally "pitcher, pot"), is a metal (brass, copper, silver or gold) pot with a large base and small mouth, large eno ...
''. This temple is surrounded by
Dharmashalas. The premises of Dharmashalas surrounding the temple is called Katla. In the centre of Katla, the main temple is situated. The entrance gate of Katla is very attractive and magnificent.
The main gate, there comes a rectangular ground and then there are seven gates to enter the Mahamandapa. After entering the temple we found a big shrine before us. An icon of Bhagavān Mahavira resembling the miraculous principal deity and two other icons are installed here. In
Garbh Griha
A ''garbhagriha'' or ''sannidhanam'' is the ''sanctum sanctorum'', the innermost sanctuary of a Hindu and Jain temples where resides the ''murti'' (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. In Jainism, the main deity is known as the '' ...
(Central Room of Temple), on the main shrine, the miraculous icon of Bhagavān Mahavira in
Padmāsana posture, coral-coloured made of sandstone is installed with Bhagavān
Pushpadanta
In Jainism, Pushpadanta ( sa, पुष्पदन्त), also known as Suvidhinatha, was the ninth Tirthankara of the present age ('' Avasarpini''). According to Jain belief, he became a siddha and an arihant, a liberated soul that has des ...
in the right side and Bhagavān
Ādinātha’s icon in the left side. The temple also enshrines ancient icons of other
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 pass ...
s.
The exterior & interior walls of the temple are richly decorated with carvings and golden paintings of scenes from Mahavira's and Parshvanatha's life. There are exquisite carvings of 16 mythological scenes on the outer walls of the temple.
In the front of the main gate of the temple stands a 52 feet high marble
Manastambha (column of pride). Four Tirthankara icons are installed at the top of Manstambha in all directions.
Other temples
Shantinath Jinalaya
Shantinath Jinalaya (Temple) at Shantiveer Nagar was built in twentieth-century. The main attraction of the temple is an imposing 32 feet high colossus statue of
Shantinatha
Shantinatha was the sixteenth Jain tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). Shantinatha was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aiira at Hastinapur in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the ...
, the 16th Jain
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 pass ...
, in
kayotsarga
Kayotsarga ( , pka, काउस्सग्ग ) is a yogic posture which is an important part of the Jain meditation. It literally means "dismissing the body". A tirthankara is represented either seated in yoga posture or standing in the kayo ...
posture. Icons of 24 Tirthankaras and their Shasan Deotas in sub shrines are also installed here. An attractive sky high Manastambha is also standing here. The temple features devakulika cells that follows
Māru-Gurjara architecture
Māru-Gurjara architecture, Chaulukya style or Solaṅkī style, is the style of West Indian temple architecture that originated in Gujarat and Rajasthan from the 11th to 13th centuries, under the Chaulukya dynasty (also called Solaṅkī dyna ...
.
Bhagwan Parshvanath Jinalaya
Bhagavān
Parshvanatha Jinalaya, also called ‘Kanch Ka Mandir’ due its mirror and glass work, is situated in front of Sanmati Dharmashala. This temple was constructed by Late Bramhacharini Kamla Bai. Main idol of this temple is black colored idol Bhagavān Parshvanatha.
Krishnabai Chaityalaya
Krishnabai chaityalaya was built in 19th century. The temple features a double arch entrance, first arch is foliated with bud pattern & second is a round arch. The temple is a superstructure supported by pillars and canopied chhatri. The temple enshires an idol of Mahavira in
lotus position.
Bhavya Kamal Mandir
The Bhavya Kamal Mandir temple was constructed in 20th century and located on the road connecting ''Shantinath Jinalya'' and ''Main Temple''. The temple is dedicated to
Chandraprabha
Chandraprabha () is the eighth Tirthankara of ''Avasarpini'' (present half cycle of time as per Jain cosmology). Chandraprabhu was born to King Mahasena and Queen Lakshmana Devi at Chandrapuri to the Ikshvaku dynasty. According to Jain tex ...
. The temple features a arched gateway and canopied ''chhatris''.
Annual Fair
An annual fair is organized in the temple premise around Mahavir Jayanti (April) which attracts Jains and people from many other communities including
Meena
Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the st ...
and
Gujjar
Gurjar or Gujjar (also transliterated as ''Gujar, Gurjara and Gujjer'') is an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community, spread mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were tradi ...
and religions in a great number. The fair is for five days (starts 2 days prior to Mahavir Jayanti and end two days post Mahavir Jayanti) and ends with a colorful Rath Yatra pulled by
Bullock cart
A bullock cart or ox cart (sometimes called a bullock carriage when carrying people in particular) is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen. It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in many parts of the world. The ...
. Many Jain sadhus or monks deliver religious discourses during this fair.
Photo gallery
File:Main vedi of Shri Mahaveerji.jpg, Main vedi with idols of Pushpadanta
In Jainism, Pushpadanta ( sa, पुष्पदन्त), also known as Suvidhinatha, was the ninth Tirthankara of the present age ('' Avasarpini''). According to Jain belief, he became a siddha and an arihant, a liberated soul that has des ...
, Mahavira, Rishabhanatha
File:Mahaveerji Shantinath Statue.png, statue of Shantinath
Shantinatha was the sixteenth Jain tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). Shantinatha was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aiira at Hastinapur in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the ...
at Shantinath Jinalaya
File:Shri Mahaveerji - Krishnabai temple (cropped).jpg, Krishnabai Chaityalaya
File:Mian temple3.jpg, 'Chharan chatri' location from where main idol was excavated
File:Mian temple7.jpg, Kanch mandir
File:Shri Mahavirji - Jain Museum - Rishabhanatha Statue - 6th Century.jpg, 6th century Statue of Rishabhanatha at Jain Museum
References
Citations
Sources
Books
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Web
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Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
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External links
Devasthan Vibhag, Govt. of Rajasthan
{{Authority control
Jain temples in Rajasthan
Tourist attractions in Karauli district
Tourist attractions in Hindaun
Cities and towns in Karauli district
Hindaun Block
19th-century Jain temples
Colossal Jain statues in India