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JAINISM IN GUJARAT
Gujarat has been a stronghold of Jainism for centuries. In prehistoric times, Rsabhadeva and Neminatha, with their disciples, performed penance on the Satrunjaya and Girnara respectively. In the 5th century of Christian era, a conference of the Jaina monks was held at Valabhi in Saurastra and the canonical works of the Jainas were reduced to writing. When Valabhi was selected for the conference, it meant that it was a place convenient to many learned Jaina monks who did not use any vehicles.
In the same century, in Anandapura or modern Vadanagara in Mehsana district, there lived a king named Dhruvasena. A Jaina monk named Dhanesvara Suri recited the Kalpa Sutra to console the king who had lost his son. According to Udyotana Suri, author of Kuvalayamāla (Samvat 835) there were many Jaina temples in Gujarat in the 6th and 7th centuries of the Christian era.
With the foundation of Anahilavada by Vanaraja Cavado, Jainism received a great impetus. Vanaraja who was sheltered by a Jaina monk in his days of adversity, built a temple to Pancasara Parsvanatha in Anahilavada.
The Jainas received the support of the Caulukya kings almost from the very inception of the dynasty. We learn from the Varunasarmaka grant of V.S. 1033, that during the reign of Mularaja I, Yuvaraja Camundaraja granted one field of land for the benefit of a Jaina temple at Varunasarmaka which has been identified with the modern Vadsama in the Mehsana district. The inscription specifically mentions Jinabhavana, Jinabimbam and Jinapūjā, that is Jaina temple, an image of Jina and his worship.
The next Caulukya king who is known to have come into close contact with the Jainas was Durlabharaja, the son of Camunda. According to tradition current in the Kharatara-gaccha, a debate held in the court of Durlabha established this sect. This we learn from Jnanavimala, who, while giving the spiritual lineage of the Kharatara sect to which he belonged states that the great Jaina monk Vardhamana Suri
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