Jainism in Bihar

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

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taken to be Buddhistic in origin were also influenced by the Jains. We also know that King Kharavela of Utkal came up to the Barabar hill on the wake of a campaign. Thus Barabar bill was a landmark which had to be reached by the Jain King Kbaravela. He would not have done so if the Barabar hill was not a seat of Jainism.
Another important place Gunawa or Gunwad about two miles from the railway station of Nawada on the road to Bibar-Bakhtiarpur has already been mentioned. It is held by some that Gunawa is a place where Gautam, the chief disciple of Mabavira attained his Nirvana. This theory is, however, unacceptable to some people who consider that Gunawa is a place which Gautam bad often visited but that he had attained Nirvan at Vipulgiri (Rajgir).
At Gunawa stands a temple and dharamshala built by Seth Hukumchand. The image in the temple is that of the Tirthankar Kunthanath in Padmasana Mudra. There are also the images of a few other Tirthankars set up at different periods. These Tirthankars are Vasupujya Swami and Parsvanath Swami. There is a Charan Chinha of Gautam Swami. There is also a Jala Mandir at a little distance from the temple. This temple is built inside a tank which is connected by a bridge about 200 feet long.
The distant subdivision of Aurangabad in Gaya district bordering Shahabad district has a number of Jain relics two of which are being mentioned here. Pachar Pabar is a hill near the eastern boundary of the Aurangabad subdivision of Gaya district. It is about two miles to the south-east of Rafigunj. The principal object of interest is a cave half way up the southern face of the hill in a natural fissure in the rocks. The access to the cave is through a small stone-faced door. In front of it stands a portico resting on stone pillars and inside the cave there is a large statue of Parsvanath and other smaller images, which are evidently all Jain,
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