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THE JAIN TIRTHAS
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273. Vaļāli:-This tirtha, sacred to Pārsvanātha, is situated in the Sabarkantha district of Gujarat. It was known in ancient times as Vāțāpallī. The KB (p. 20) also mentions the Pārśva temple of this place in connexion with the wanderings of the Kharatara ācārya Jinacandra II in V.S. 1222. This proves that the Pārsva temple of this town existed in the middle of the 12th century ; see for further details, Tirtha Darśan, II, p. 262. The Digambara writers
ave mentioned this place : see Tirthavandanasangraha. p. 173.
274. Vadavāla :—This place in South Kanara district of Karpāțaka had a śāntinātha temple in the 17th century, according to the Digambara Viśvabhushana ; see Tirthavandanasangraha, p. 173.
275. Vaiśāli:-This ancient city of eastern India was intimately connected with the childhood of Lord Mahāvīra. There is also reason to believe that even before the birth oi Lord Mahāvira, the teachings of Pārsvanātha were accepted by a number of people of this town, including Mahāvira's parents ; see supra, I, pp. 13, 20-21. Afterwards, the Jains practically forgot this place and this explains why We do not get any genuine ancient Jain icon from this area. Yaisāli is now a separate district-town of Bihar.
276. Valabhi :--This great city of ancient India, is now represented by ruins, scattered over a large area, in the present Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. Before its destruction in the last quarter of the 8th century, by the Muslims, (Vividhatirthakalpa, p. 29), it was a great centre of Jainism and the Jain canon was first edited here in the 5th century A.D. There is little doubt that by the 5th century, Valabhi became a great centre of Śvetāmbara Jainism. The association of the Svetāmbaras with this city has also been mentioned in the Brhatkathakasa (137, 69), which was written in 931 A.D. The discovery of 6th-century Jina icons from the ruins of this place, also proves that it was a Jain centre in the Gupta period ; see also supra, 1, p. 109. The Višesha
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