Rise and Glory History of Halari Visa Oshwals

Author(s): Rati Dodhia
Publisher: Rati Dodhia

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Part I. Origin
Chamuda Devi he stayed with his 35 disciples to spend the rainy season (chaturmas) in the city while telling the rest of his disciples to proceed to Gujarat.
King Upaldev of Upkeshpur and his chief minister Uhad were very popular among the people. When the minister's son died due to bite by a poisonous snake one of the disciples fortunately came to know about it and told the minister to take his son's body to the acharya, who was staying near Lunadri hill. The body was laid down at the feet of acharya, who sprinkled it with holy water and revived, the minister's son. Everywhere people were very jubilant. They listened to acharya's discourse and were so impressed that about 184,000 kshtriyas embraced the Jaina religion. He called them Mahajans and founded the Upkesh Gacch (division of monastic orders with its followers). The community came in time to be known as Oshwals.
According to the account in Mahajan Vansh Muktavali authored by Yati Ramlalji the incidence of revival happened as follows. The acharya ordered one of his disciples to get the food. When the disciple could not get any alms, he obtained the food by curing gentleman's illness with herbs. When the acharya came to know about this he rebuked the disciple and started preparing to leave. At that very moment Goddess Chamuda Devi came before acharya in person and made a request "With the help sacred mantra of enlightenment, teach the people about the true religion." The acharya sent his disciple into the city and asked him to bring a ball of cotton wool. He rolled it into a wick and by using his spiritual power he converted the wick into a poisonous snake. He ordered the snake to bite the King's son. The snake went into the packed royal assembly hall bit the King's son who was sitting there. The king then ordered the physician, snake charmers, witch doctors, healers, ascetics, priests and others to treat his son. But none could cure him. Everywhere people were crying with grief. Thinking that he is dead. The body was being