Bharatiya Sanskriti Ke Vikas Me Jain Vangamay Ka Avdan Part 02

Author(s): Nemichandra Shastri, Rajaram Jain, Devendrakumar Shastri
Publisher: Prachya Shraman Bharati

Page 256

जैन तीर्थ, इतिहास, कला,संस्कृति एवं राजनीति
२११ the date 1386 A.D. is still to be found there. Babu Sankar Lal of Arrah completed a Jain temple ‘Parshnath Mandir' there in Bikrama Sambat 1819. and an inscription reads that the image of Parasnath was dedicated by him. a citizen of Aram Nagar during the prosperous English rule. over Karushadesa. There are 44 temples in Arrah and its suburb and one in Dalmianagar, From the point of view of art and crafts all these reach the zenith and are certainly captivating. In fine the whole of this land of Shahabad is dotted, as it were, with places of historical interest and importance like these Jain temples, Shahabad is really great on account of its Jain temples and Jain community, whose ideal of non-violence is still a living faith with them.
The Murti lekha found in Masarah is as follows :
संवत् १८७६ वर्षे भट्टारक महेन्द्र भूषणस्तदाम्नाये कांसिलगोत्रे वखतावर सींघःतस्य पुत्रः शंकरलालः तस्य पुत्राश्चावारः श्रीरतनचन्द्रः कोत्तिचन्द्रः गुपालचन्द्रः प्यारेलालश्च आरामनगरवासीति । मसाढ नगरे जिनबिम्व कररापिता। रचनचन्द्रेण रथयात्रा सोत्साहं कारापिता चेति ।
A brief sketch of some of the well known Jain temples of Shahabad in a nut-shell is given below :
1. Shree Samaveda Sikhar Mandir:- This was dedicated by Harprasad Das Jain, the true server of the cause of humanity. To satisfy the yearning of his heart he got erected in 1902 two palatial buildings and employed a highly paid sculptor from aipur to reproduce in marble the famous holy places like Parshwanath hill and the images of 24 Tirthankars. In the same year he executed a registered deed on the 10th March, making a free gift of the houses to the public-along with this temple. In the trust-deed cxecuted on the 31 st March 1918, he himself rccounts with evident satisfaction "I have got two houses built at a high cost adjacent to each other for Dharmasala in the Mahalla Mahajan Toli No. I. at Arrah and on the upper storey of one of these houses I have got constructed in white marblea kharjee and Shree Kailashjce in miniature, I have further got the temple of Pawapuri along with the tank constructed in white marble and also the temple of Shree Champapuri. In all these I have installed the 'Charans' of the Gods. In the houses are installed the God Shree Adinath, Parashnath, Mahabir Swami, the 24 Tirthankars and a few Pratimas." There is a gla
our around these little splendid hüls. It is a monumetal building, historically important, aesthetically superb and humanly inspiring. It is deed a triumph of art over God. Looked at from every point of view. it prorides occasion for thoughts and ideas which uplift our bearts, Experts in the art of building have paid unstinted praise to the skill and genius of those woh