Jain Center Los Angeles CA 1988 07 Jain Bhavan Inauguration

Author(s): Jain Center So CA Los Angeles
Publisher: USA Jain Center Southern California

Page 16

IDOLS IN THE JAIN BHAVAN AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE
The Jain Bhavan temple will have three idols (Murtis) of Tirthankars on the front platform and two idols of their divine guardians (Yaksha/Yakshini) in the small side cubicles (Gonkhs). The stories and significance of these idols are briefly explained below.
Kumarpal Desai
Front Platform
Left Gonkh
Right Gonkh
Lord Mahavir - Main Idol (Mul Nayak) | 1
Lord Mahavir was the last & 24th Tirthankar of the Jains. Jainism revailed in India since the time of the first Tirthankar Lord Rushabhadev. Lord Mahavir reorganized the Jain religion and his preaching is preserved in Jain scriptures.
He then spent the next twelve years in prayer, meditation and penance. He cared very little for rest. sleep or other comforts of the body, observed celibacy and exercised self control. At the end of twelve years of very hard penance and self-control, Mahavir, at the age of 42, attained Kevalgnan or Omniscience, the highest knowledge, which is infinite and knows no limits of time and space. He became Kevalin or Jina, a Conqueror. He became Lord Mahavir.
Lord Mahavir was born in a royal family in the year
yal family in the year 599 B.C., and was named Vardhaman, because from the day of his birth the wealth, power, glory, and prosperity of the royal family and of the people began to increase immensely. During childhood Vardhaman had shown extraordinary physical strength and distringuished qualities. Hence he was the acknowledged leader of the young children. Child Vardhaman could catch a serpent and control an elephant. Therefore, he was also called Mahavir.
Lord Mahavir spent the rest of the thirty years of his life in going from place to place on foot to preach Jainism to his many followers including monks, kings, and householders. At the age of seventy-two Lord Mahavir left the human body and liberated his soul from the cycle of birth and death, in a place called Pavapuri in 527 B.C.
Mahavir wanted to leave the worldly material life and lead the life of an ascetic for the highest spiritual attainment. At the age of thirty, Mahavir left the royal palace and family and publicly renounced all worldly attachments.
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