Some Historical Jaina Kings and Heros

Author(s): Kamtaprasad Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 72

their suzerainty'. They traced their descent from a famous King of Tagarpura by name Jeemutavahana, who belonged most probably to that house of Vidyadharas, which was established by the Vidyadhara Kings Nila and Mahanila of the Jain persuasion.' It is for this reason that Shilaharas styled themselves 'Tagara purasuaradhisvara' and 'Mahamandleshuaru. Like their ancestors the Shilahara Kings were also either followers or patrons of Jainism.
Gandraditya was a famous and great king among the Shilaharas. He fought many a successful battle and defended his country from the onsluaghts of aggressive enemies. He ruled with royal splendour from A. D. 1110 to 1136 A. D. and became renowned for his liberality. It is said about him that he entertained one thousand Brahmans to a feast at Prayag near Kolhapur. He also built a Jain temple at Ajrena in the vicinity of Kolhapur. It seems he was anxions to honour all the sects of his dominion and to express his liberal view he constructed a big tank, in which he built a shrine for idols of Shri Jinendra, Buddha and Shiva". .
His son Vijayaditya succeeded him. He was
1. Hiralal, Karakanda-cnriu, (Karanja), Intro. 2. Bhandarkar, Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I, Part II
p. 255.