Jain Digest 2001 01 Vol 17 No 01

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

Page 37

YATRA 2001 - SAMET SHIKHARJI
Dilip V. Shah, Philadelphia, PA
JAINA greeted the dawning of the new millennium with a health considering their advanced age. The gift of their presence pilgrimage to Samet Shikharji and other Tirths of Bihar and Uttar will forever remain etched in the hearts of the Yatris. Their stories Pradesh. We started Yatra 2001 from Delhi on 18th January travel from the scriptures added to our understanding of significance of ing by train and bus across the northern width of India to Calcutta. our Tirths. Along the way, we visited temples of Sauryapuri (Agra), Ayodhya, Our first Tirth was Sauryapuri (Shri Neminath's Chyvan and Banaras, Vaishali, Champapuri, Lachwad (Xatriyakund), Rajgir, Tanma Kalyanak bhumi) which is 60 km. from Agra. Everyone Pawapuri, Nalanda, Kundalpur and Shikharji. The 16-day Yatra
also wanted to visit the Taj Mahal but it was the first time that the
also wante was oversubscribed. Initial plan was to have 111 Yatris but so many Government ordered closing of Taj Mahal on Fridays. The next wanted to join that eventually the number reached to 128. Still,
day we went to Ayodhya, land of 19 Kalaynaks. It was this land
day we wer regrettably we could not accommodate all those who wanted to
who wanted to
that gave to
that gave to the world social, political and worldly order during join.
the reign of Shree Adinath. Varanasi was our next stop where we During a pilgrimage, pilgrims are supposed to perform cer- stayed for two days in a nice western type hotel. This ancient capitain prescribed rituals (6 Avashyks): Dev Puja, Guru Vandan, tal of knowledge where Mahopadhyay Yashovijayji spent 12 years Swadhyay, Daan, Tap and Restraint. As to the very important first studying, is the home of 16 Kalyanaks. We visited temples of (Dev Puja), We visited 75 Kalyanaks during this Yatra. Traveling Bhadaini on the Ganges riverbank, Bhelupur, Chandrapuri and through Bihar is not easy but the lure of that land, its significance Sinhpuri. to Jainism - makes you forget about the small inconveniences, de
The next day in Varanasi was for a visit to the 65 year old lays and brushes with abject poverty. The emotional high of reach
Parswanath Vidyapeeth affiliated with the Banaras Hindu Univering the Jal Mandir or Parswanath toonk or Chandraprabhu toonk
sity. The Vidyapeeth has 150 publications to its credit and about at Shikharji cannot be overstated. Starting at 4:00 A.M. on 18 60 scholars of the Vidyapeeth have been awarded Ph. D. in mile trek of the Shikharji Mountain, on a dark and cold morning, lainology. The institute is working on preparing a Jain encyclopewith stories of need to remain in large groups and with so many dia (7,000 pages), editing and translating works of Acharya senior citizens in our group-finishing a 15 hour day without any Haribhadraii and Upadhyay Yashovijayji. They hope to be a full difficulty whatsoever is an ample proof of the magic of that land. University in the near future
University in the near future. We saw the serene campus, a rich But I am getting ahead of myself. There were many joyous and
sell. There were many joyous and library with 30,000 books and periodicals, a museum of Jain artiauspicious days before we got to Madhuban (Shikharji).
facts and met with many of the faculty and students. Our Yatris We started our Yatra from Delhi with blessings of H.H. Shree awarded 6 scholarships and donated generously to the Vidyapeeth. Amrendra Muni who accompanied us for most of the Yatra. His On the sixth day of our Yatra, we were in Patna to visit Vaishali. spiritual guidance, Mangal Vachans and Yoga instructions el
On the way to Vaishali we visited a place where Stulibhadraji medievated the tone of our Yatra. In Delhi, we visited Dadawadi and
tated. It is the only known place to have his charan paduka. We Ahimsa Sthal. Mahavirswami's Murti on top of a small hill over
noted with regret that at Vaishali, where according to Digambar looking Delhi is quite a breath-taking scene. Weather related de
belief, Bhagwan Mahaveer was born; there is only one marble lays cancelled our plan to visit Lal Mandir and we boarded our
urded our
pl
plaque in a small park that is very poorly maintained. On our way train to Agra on the first night. We had three train compartments back to Patna. we stopped by a Buddha stoop built by the Japa- 2 tier second class A.C. that stayed with us from the beginning nese Government with a picturesque garden that is maintained to the end. We left most of our baggage in the train when we beautifully. visited the cities and the towns. We spent most nights in hotels
The next day we reached Bhagalpur by train and visited and Dharmsalas and a few nights in the trains.
Vasupujyaswami's temple at Champapuri - the only Tirth which For Swadhyay during the Yatra, we were very fortunate to
witnessed all 5 Kalyanaks of any Teerthankar. From there we went have an illustrious couple - Dr. Ramanlal C. Shah and Taraben
to Lachhwar by a 5 hour bus journey. Our buses had to slow down Shah of Bombay who have written nearly 150 books between them.
because that route was also the route for thousands of pilgrims They accepted our request to accompany us at the cost of cancel young and old walking on both sides of the road carrying water ing a few previously committed programs and at the cost of their
on their backs from a river to a Shivji's temple. Their journey will
JAIN DIGEST. SPRING 2001 / 35