Jainism in Bihar

Author(s): P C Roy Choudhary
Publisher: P C Roy Choudhary Patna

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important for the inter-district and inter-province trade routes connecting Banaras, Jagarnathpuri and Tamralipta, an important port in Bengal. Even now there are a large number of Jains scattered all over the district of Manbbum. For our purposes we have included the present sub-district of Dhanbad as a part of Manbhum. There is no doubt that Dhanbad will very soon attain the status of a full district.
Tradition ascribes to Lord Mahavira having visited the province of “Safa" when he was on tour for the spread of his cult. It is said that the aboriginals who were in an overwhelming majority in the Safa province were not very keen to listen to or follow Mahavira and that he was even molested by them. But undaupted, Lord Mahavira went about preaching his cult and ultimately his sense of sobriety and saintliness touched the heart of the tribal population and many were converted to Jainism.
Balrampur, commonly known as Palma Balrampur, a village about four miles from Purulia, is on the bank of river Kasai. There is a temple at Balrampur in which there are a number of Jain images some of wbich are clearly of the Jain Tirthankars. Some of the images have the Jain Chinhas and are apparently quite old. An inscription on a stone fixed to a pillar was found at this village. The inscription was removed several years back by an agency commonly ascribed to be a Settlement Officer and now could be seen fixed by the roadside witbin the Court compound.
At Boram, a big village situated four miles south from Jaipur railway station, there are three temples in ruin which are said to be constructed by the Srawakas or the lay Jaids, These three temples are identical in design. These temples have Jain images and were originally Jain shrines. To the south about a mile away from Boram there is a shrine where there are images in oudity. This by itself is a clear proof that the images are Jain in origin. The shrine is now taken to be a Hindu temple.
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