Jaina Temples of Western India

Author(s): Harihar Singh
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

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Faina Temples of Western India
pitch-road is arrived the plains of Abu. Here, one Vatsarāja (Prati hāra) built a shrine of the Buddhist is amazed by finding himself almost in a new goddess Tārā at this place and hence the place was world-"an island floating in air.” This table. called Tarapura. Later Vatsarāja is said to have land is walled on all sides by abrupt and lofty accepted Jaina religion and erected there a shrine cliffs, contains villages and hamlets, is ornamented to Siddhāyikā, the Yakşi of Mahävira Some time by a lake and by more than one rivulet of water, afterwards the shrine fell into the hands of the and wears a coronet of mountain peaks. One of Digambaras, who continued to hold its possession the villages here is called Dilwara or Delvādā, until they were ousted by Caulukya Kumārapāla, which lies one and a half miles away from Mt. who ordered his Dandanāyaka Abhaya to adorn it Abu and is reached from the latter place by a pitch with a temple of Ajitanātha.75 It appears that road. In the village are the world famous temples formerly Taranga was a Buddhist site, and then it of Abu. Since there were many temples in this was occupied by the Digambaras and the Svetāmarea, the place came to be known as Devakulapā- baras respectively. That Taranga was a Buddhist taka or Devalapāțaka (a region of temples),69 and site is also known from the discovery of an image it was most probably from Devalapätaka that the of the Buddhist goddess Tārā from this place. 70 present name of Deulavädä or Delvädä was derived. About the sanctity of this place Hemacandra writes At present there is a group of five Jaina temples, that "in religious merit it equals Shatrunjaya," 77 all situated very close to each other. Of these, only
Girnar-Girnar or Girinar is one of the most the Vimalavasahi and the Lunavasahi come under
sacred hills of the Jainas, lying four miles east of the survey of this work.
Junagadh, Cujarat. This is the highest hill in Taranga–Taranga is a sacred hill of the Jainas. Gujarat, rising to a height of about 3470 ft. obove It is situated 35 miles northeast of the Mehsana the sea-level. In the Junagadh inscription of district of Gujarat. Taranga is also a Railway Rudradaman Girnar is referred to as Girinagara;78 Station whence the Taranga hill lies at a distance and it has been suggested that it was from Girinaof three miles only. At present the hill is approach- gara that the present name of Girinar or Girnar ed from its foot by a paved road which passes was derived." In the Puranas Girnar is referred through scrubs and trees and opens at length in a to as Ujjayanta, Ujjanta, Udayanta, Durjayanta long basin, in the middle of which and surrounded and Vaijayanta,so while in the inscriptions it has by an extensive paved courtyard stands the temple been called Urjayat. Hiuen Tsang calls it Yuhof Ajitanātha.
chen-to (Ujjanta), 2 which, according to CunninTaranga is also called Tärāpura, Taraura,
gham, is the Pali form of the Sanskrit Ujjayanta. 83
Another name applied for Girnar is Raivata or Tārāvaranagara, Tāraṇagiri, Täragiri, Tarana
Raivataka.84 In the Junagadh inscription of Skandgadha, Tarangakaparvata, Tāranganāga, Tāranga
agupta dated 457 A. D. Raivataka and Urjayata kagiri, Tārangadha and Täranadurga.70 Among
are mentioned separately.85 This obviously indi. one hundred eight names of Shatrunjaya enumerated
cates that Raivataka and Ujjayanta were names of by Dhanesvarasūri Tärăgiri (Taranga) is one.?l As
two different hills at Girnar, but later they seem for the origin of the name of Taranga, Nyayavijaya
to have been regarded as identical names of Girnar has pointed out that in the 15th century A. D. Taranga was called Taranadurga, and it was from Täraņadurga that the term Taranagadha, then Girnar has been regarded as a sacred hill by the Tärägadha, and finally Taranga was derived."
Hindus, Buddhists and Jainas since ancient times.87 Forbes has suggested that the name of Taranga is
According to the Giranāra Mahātmya, Prabhāsaksetra derived from Taruna Mātā whose temple exists on
and its vicinty on the south sea-shore of Saurashtra the hill.73
are the holiest of all the places of Hindu sanctity, It is a siddhaksetra, as here were liberated but Girnar or Vastrapatha, as it is called, is holier Varadatta, Varānga, Sāgaradatta and three and a still by some almost infinitesimal amount,88 half crore Munis, 74 During the historical period Girnar is also included among the five most sacred
hills. 86