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Cultural Milieu of Jaina Caves: Socio-economic and Religious Backdrop Jaina Strongholds in Maharashtra
The Jaina remains are found from almost all the parts except Konkan, where the cave at Vase and a temple at Karoli, both in Thane district and Jina icons from Mauja Pandur in Ratnagiri district are the only examples. However, Jaina writers frequently mention Sopara. The mythical Jaina king Sirpal is said to have married Tilaksundari, the daughter of king Mahasena of Soparaka. One of the eighty-four gachhas is called after Sopara (Thane District Gazetteer 1982: 1051). Vasudevahindi refers to Konkan visaya and the city of Sopparya or Sopara and Samjamti or Sanjan (Jamkhedkar 1965: 733, 677).
Though Jainism seems to have spread throughout Maharashtra, some places emerged as the strongholds of the sect in different periods of history. In norther parts of Maharashtra, Anjaneri was a very important centre of the sect in the 12th century CE since a large number of temples and also a cave, all dating from the same period are grouped at the site. Moreover, the donation made by the Yadava king to one of the temples speaks of the significance of the site. In fact, Nasik and the area around it had been a Jaina stronghold from the 8th century, especially in the period between the 11th to the 14th centuries CE as a number of cave-sites under study and other remains suggest. According to Vividhatirthakalpa, there was a Chandraprabha temple at Chandor in the 9th century CE (Jinavijaya 1934: 53). As stated in the last chapter, Vatagramapura, identified either with Wani in Dindori taluka (Jain, J. P. 1979: 5-6) or Vadner in Malegaon taluka (Kolte 1969: 14) of Nasik District, was a great Jaina centre from the 7th to the 9th centuries (Jain, J. P. 1979: 13-15). Nasik is considered an important Jaina tirtha by the 14th century CE as it finds mention in the Vividhatirthakalpa of Jinaprabhasuri. According to the Vāstupālacharita, Tejpala, the famous minister under the Solankis of Gujarat, set up a Jina icon in the Jaina temple at Nasik (Sheth 1953: 131). It continued to be an important Jaina tirtha till at least the 19th century CE as Muni Silavijaya, who visited contemporary Jaina tirthas of south India in 1674-75 CE, mentions it in his Tirthamala' along with Trymbaka and Tungi (Premi 1956b: 465).
In western Maharashtra, Paithan was an important centre in the pre-14th century period. It is mentioned as a tirtha by Jinaprabhasuri. According to a Jaina tradition, the famous monk Bhadrabahu visited Paithan on the way to Sravanbelgola while migrating to south during the famine of Magadha, along with a number of followers, including the Mauryan ruler Chandragupta Maurya. The city was also visited by at least three Kalakacharyas at different periods. The first Kalakacharya, who had invited Sakas to punish the king of Ujjain for molesting his sister, came to Paithan, the capital of Satavahanas, to seek help from the Satavahana king to drive away the Sakas. The second Kalakacharya visited Paithan and invited the King Salivahana, identified as a Satavahana king Simukha or Hala, to participate in the Pajjusana festival and changed the date of the festival to suit the convenience of the king. The third Kalakacharya might have visited Paithan in 3rd century CE (Morwanchikar 1985:46-48). Chimna Pandit (17th century CE), who hailed from Paithan considers it a 'Mahātirtha' and describes the city along with its history as a Jaina kşetra (Akkole 1968: 188-189). By this time the city came to be associated with Munisuvrata tirthankara (Akkole 1968: 189). Ahemadnagar was a Jaina tirtha in the 19th century CE as it was visited by Muni Silavijaya (Premi 1956b: 465).
