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Development & Impact of Jainism in India & Abroad
The famous Jain Digambar Tirthas are Bahubali, Mangi-Tungi, Karad, Kundal, Vashi Parswanath. In medieval India Vidarbha area was famous Jain Centre. Nagpur, Alichapur, Chanda, Vardha, Kundinpur (Amaravati), Vashim. Karanja, Kudinpur (Amaravati), Achalpur, Chandwad are also famous centers of Jain temple culture and rich treasures of Jain literature are available here.
Shwetambar Temples: The famous Jain Shwetambar temples in Maharashtra are Godiji Derasar (Phydhooni, Mumbai), Agasi Tirth (Virar), Tirth Bhadravati (Bhanduk), Anatrikshji (Akola), Agam Mandir (Katraj-Pune), Jahaj Mandir Kumbhojgiri (Hatkangale), Simandhar Swami Dharmchakra Tirth (Nasik), Balsana and Achalgrachha Tirth (Dhuliya), Manas Mandir (Shahpur), Simandhar Swami mandir, Shiroli (Kolhapur).
CHATURVIDHA SANGH:
The Jain community has been traditionally divided into four groups viz, Sadhus or male ascetics, Sadhvis or female ascetic, Shravakas or male laity and Shravikas or female laity and this Chaturvidha sangh have been bound together by very close relations. H. Jacobi rightly remarks, "It cannot be doubted that his close union between layman and monks brought about by similarity of their religious duties, differing not in kind, but in degree had disabled Jainism to avoid fundamental changes within and to resist dangers from without for more than two thousand years (Jocabi Vol.7: 470).
The literary and missionary activities of the Jain Acharyas ultimately helped the Jains in Maharashtra to strengthen their position for long time. Acharya Samantbhadra, Pujyapada, Akalank, Vidhyanandi, Jinsena, Gunabhadra etc. (Altekar 1934: 272). It is considered that due to the keen interest taken by the Jain Acharyas i.e. preceptors in political affairs of the country, Jainism occupies an important place in the history of India (Saletore 1938: 60). Shwetambar Jain Acharyas are-Acharya Anand Rushiji (Stanakvasi).
BHATTARAK INSTITUTION:
Institution of Bhattarakas was started by Digambar Jains as a measure against their continuous religious and social disintegration during the medieval period. The system at Bhattarakas was constituted for mainly the religious divisions of the society. Later on Bhattaraka came to be intimately associated with a particular Jain sub-caste and important position in the organization of that caste. Among the Shwetambaras there are at different places the seats of yatis instead of Bhattarakas and that the pomp displayed by these Shwetambar yatis was like that displayed by the Digambara Bhattaraka.
in Maharashtra Saitwal Bhattarakas are at Latur and Nagpur. Pancham- Lakshmisen Bhattarak at Kolhapur, Chaturth- Jinsen Bhattarak at Nandani. Their duty is Dhamrakshana. Lakshmisen Bhattarak started Marathi Jain Sahitya Parishad and spread of its activities all over Maharashtra.
JAINS IN TRADE AND COMMERCE:
Though Jain community is minority community, mainly of a commercial in character, encouraged commercial activities in Maharashtra State. The names of leading business and industrial magnets of Maharashtra like- Walchand Hirachand Doshi, Sir Chunilal B. Mehta, Sir
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