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Jain Center of Greater Phoenix (JCGP) is a
Of the total Jain population in Phoenix, about half live in the East Valley. Most arrived in the 1980s, at which time they did not have a permanent meeting place and met in local elementary schools.
In 2005, JCGP acquired 4 acres of land for building a Jain Temple in Phoenix.
Image:JCGP Temple (4).png, Exteriors of the Jain temple in Phoenix, Arizona
Image:JCGP Temple (8).png, Both
Jain temple
A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings gen ...
in Phoenix, Arizona. It was established in 2008. It represents about 150 families in the Phoenix metro area.
History
Of the total Jain population in Phoenix, about half live in the East Valley. Most arrived in the 1980s, at which time they did not have a permanent meeting place and met in local elementary schools.
In 2005, JCGP acquired 4 acres of land for building a Jain Temple in Phoenix. Pratistha
''Panch Kalyanaka Pratishtha Mahotsava'' is a traditional Jain ceremony that consecrates one or more Jain Tirthankara icons with celebration of Panch Kalyanaka (five auspicious events). The ceremony is generally held when new Jain temple is ere ...
event was held from December 20 to December 26, 2008. The temple is located at 6250 S. 23rd Ave. The Hindu community also has a temple on another four acres next to the Jain Center, known as the Shree Nathji temple.
Architecture
The building uses whiteMakrana marble
Makrana marble is a type of white marble, popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It is mined in the town of Makrana in Rajasthan, India, and was used in the construction of several iconic monuments such as the Taj Mahal in Agra and the ...
on the inside. The primary deities have been brought in from India, 51-inch high statues of Mahavir and Adinath. Behind the primary deities, 24 inches have been carved out to include 15-inch-high statues of tirthankars
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 ...
. Above the sanctum sanctorum, a 61 feet pinnacle or shikhara
''Shikhara'' ( IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chambe ...
has been constructed.
The entrance of the temple includes a sandstone archway and a 41-foot Manastambha
A manastambha (Sanskrit for 'column of honour') is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples or large Jain statues. In North India, they are topped by four Tirthankara images.
According to the ''Digambara'' Jain texts like '' ...
(nonviolence monument) stands outside the temple.
Gallery
Digambar
''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing ...
and Shwetambar statues are placed in the same sanctum sanctorum
Image:JCGP Temple (3).png, Front entrance of the Jain temple
File:JCGP Temple (2).png, Rishabhantha idol
File:JCGP Temple (1).png, Mahavir Swami idol
File:JCGP Temple (9).png, Main vedi
See also
*Jainism in America
Adherents of Jainism first arrived in the United States in the 20th century. Jain immigration began in earnest in the late 1960s and continues to the present day.
History
In 1893, Virachand Gandhi became the first Jain delegate to visit the ...
* Jain Center of America
*Brampton Jain Temple
Brampton Jain Temple or the Bhagwan 1008 Adinatha Swamy Jain Temple, is the first Jain temple in Canada constructed using traditional Indian architecture. The temple is located at 7875 Mayfield Road in Brampton, ON Canada, L7E 0W1. The temple hou ...
References
{{Jainism topics Asian-American culture in Arizona Jain temples in the United States Religious buildings and structures in Arizona 21st-century Jain temples