Jain Digest 2000 03 Vol 16 No 1

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 18

in the Yatra. At night a special musical group from Ahemdabad arrived for a spiritually uplifting singing of Bhakti geets.
We divided Yatris into 6 groups of 14 Yatris each with a team leader. We started next morning in 3 air-conditioned luxury buses for Kesariyaji temple. Shri Adinath temple in Kesariyaji is over 600 years old but the black idol is believed to be from the era of Shri Munisuvratswami. This town is the Dhuleva Mandap town we sing in Aarti. Traditionally people (Jains and Non Jains) offer lots of Kesar (saffron) and as a result, the temple is known as Kesariyaji. After Darshan and Pooja, we proceeded to Ranakpur. It was a night of full moon and at 8:30 the temple had just closed. It would take at least an hour before we could get rooms but our Yatris were not disheartened in any way. Outside the temple they all set down on the floor and under the moonlight enhanced the quiet of the serene atmosphere with the sounds of Bhaktamar Stotra and other Bhakti Geets. There was no doubt that this Yatra was going to be a spiritual extravaganza. Next morning Yatris were in the temple before 7:00 A.M. for Darshan and recitation of Bhaktamar Stotra. Splendor of Ranakpur temple at sunrise slowly sank into yetis. The architecture for which Ranakpur temple is most famous is amazing - the 1444 carved marble pillars designed in such a way that from any given point in any direction you look, one of the idols is visible.
Jodhpur was our next stop. The long bus trip was made bearable by group singing and chanting in the buses. We settled in a hotel for the night and next morning visited a 250 year old Parswanath temple on a lake. Inside the compound in front of Padmavati Devi, we all sat down to listen to Dr. Jwala and Aruna Prasad of Cincinnati, as they recited stotras and narrated story of Jindattcharaya of Humcha. Together they also sang Padmavati Stuti in Sanskrit in a beautiful melody. This was a very moving scene. Many of us, not familiar with south Indian languages are not aware of how deep rooted Jainism is in the southern part of India. Learning from each other is an added bonus of a Sangh Yatra and this was a very good example of how JAINA is bringing Jains of all stripes together. Yatris were developing new bonds with others on their bus and in anticipation of reaching Jaisalmer that night smiles were all over. On the way, we visited Osianji temple and Falodi. Luckily for us, the hotel in Jaisalmer where we were to spend two nights was a beautiful fort like complex just recently opened for the tourists. After breakfast early next morning we proceeded to the fort and the temple.
The tour guide at the Chintamani Parswanath temple was very knowledgeable and he explained some of the fundamentals of Jain Moorti Shastra and temple construction particularly the 12 dancing Devis in the Rangmandap. In the next temple, he pointed out a carving in the size of a rice grain of a temple and an idol within. We saw stone carving of Jain cosmology and many more salient features and also visited the Poostak Bhandar underneath the temple. - a true treasure of ancient Jain manuscripts. Because of the special arrangements made on our behalf, three
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trustees of the Jaisalmer Teeth were present to provide a rare access to the inner sanctum of the vault. This is where most of the manuscripts are carefully guarded in steel cabinets and aluminum boxes of various sizes customized for the size of manuscripts. A small window at the bottom of the floor is the only entrance to the wall and one has to crawl to enter. But rewards of the effort to get there were immediate and immense. We also saw a mysterious pillar containing hidden knowledge believed to be waiting for appropriate person (Yug Purush) to come and for whom the pillar will open and the knowledge will be bestowed upon him.
After coming down from the steps of the fort and the emotional high, we visited Parwa Haveli - world famous tourist attraction with exquisite stone carvings that take your breath away. In the evening, we went to Thar Desert. Unlike other tourists, we did not ride the camels but instead hired the camels just to walk with us or take pictures with. On couple of sand dunes Yatris watched the sunset and contemplated on the very uplifting day that had just ended.
Back at the hotel, with dinner we were entertained by Rajasthani folk singers and dancers. Next morning we went to Amarsagar for Darshan and Lodravaar for Darshan and Pooja of Sahastrafeni Parswanath. After lunch before we started long journey to Nakodaji, everyone posed for one group photograph in front of the hotel. To foster friendship between Yatris, half the Yatris changed buses to meet new people.
On our way to Nakodaji, we stopped at three temples of Badnasar for Darshan and dinner and arrived at Nakodaji Dharmasala late at night. Next morning on January 26, after darshan and pooja at Nakodaji, few of us went to a local school for flag hoisting ceremony. Shanti Niketan School, run by a Jain Trust was a very gracious host to our Sangh and kids presented variety entertainment program filled with such items as Yoga demonstration, patriotic songs and regional dances. We all joined kids on stage singing "Saare Jahan Se Achha Hindustan Hamara". Some of our yatris wanted to donate funds to the school but were politely turned down.
On the way to Mt. Abu we stopped near Jhalore where a new Shantinath temple in the shape of a Ship is being built. From there we went to Bramanwada where Bhagwan Mahavir had Upsarga - nails driven through his ears. We saw the mini Samet Sikharji and reached Mt. Abu late at night.
Morning was reserved for visit to the Adinath temple at Delwara. The world famous artistry and carvings in marble spellbinds you eternally with dreams of white marble clouds journeying you to salvation. From the Delwara temples we went to Adinath temple at Achalgadh. In the evening we went to the sunset point, a very prominent tourist spot and Nakhi lake.
On the way to Ider next morning we stopped in a small town near Vadali where a new Tirth is being built to install 23 of the many idols unearthed from Samprati Maharaj time. In Ider