All India Jain Temples and Tourist Places

Author(s): B C Nagraj
Publisher: ITI Jains Association, Bangalore

Page 16

the capital of Ramayana age. Taj Mahal on the banks of Yamuna is a poem transformed into a marble beauty.
Jainism has a deep association with Uttar Pradesh since ancient times. Garbha, Janma, Diksha and Keval Gnan of 18 Thirthankars have taken place in Uttarpradesh. Ayodhya is the birth place of Vrishaba, Ajitha, Abhinanadan, Sumati and Anantha Thirthankara. Rathnapuri (24 Kms to Ayodhya) is the birth palce of Dharmanatha. Sravasthi ( 109 km to Ayodhya) is the birth place of Shambhava Thirthankara. Kakandi (14 kms to Devaria) is the birth place of Pushpadanta.
Kings ruled from here as early as the period of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Then Sishunaga, Nanda, Maurya, Sunga, Sakha, Kushan, Gupta and other dynasties ruled from here. Lucknow is the capital city of U.P. Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra are famous industrial centres. U.P. is world famous for its beautiful carpets, Benaras Brocade silk , Firozabad glass bangales and so on. 2. HASTINAPUR: (37 kms from Merut , 60 km from Delhi)
This is the birth place of 16th Thirthankara Shanthinatha, 17th thirthankara Kunthunatha and 18th thirthankara Aranatha. 12 kalyans of 3 thirthankars has taken place here. Many thirthankars visited this place and Samavasarans were held . “Aahardan’ was given to Lord Adinath by Shreyamsakumar for the first time at this place. A stupa has been installed at the place where he had offered ‘Aahar-Dan’.
Akampana Acharya with Munisangha had come over here. The place is associated with the story of Bali and Muni Vishnukumara.
Samprati, Grand son fo Ashoka had constructed many jain temples and stupas here, which were later destroyed due to political changes. A temple constructed by the then treasurer Hasmukh Roy with Lord Parshwanath as main deity in 1801 was looted by Gurjaras. Later Jinachandra Bhattarak consecrated Lord Shanthinatha, idol brought from Delhi's Dharmapuri mandir. The temple also houses the idols of Anantha and Kunthunatha. A 31 feet tall Manasthambah stands in front of the temple. The other temples are Bahubali Mandir, Jal Mandir and Thirthankars tonk. Beautiful depiction of Jambu Dweep' has been constructed by the effort of Aryika Gnanamati Mataji.
Mela will be held here in Karthik Astanika. Dharmashala, Jain Gurukula and Mumukshu Ashrams are over here.