Two Unpublished Caitya Paripatis on Citod Tirtha

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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J. B. Shah
"E Vidhaï pakṣa ganadhara Bhāvsāgarasūri anucara im Bhaṇar" Meaning: The disciple of Bhāvsāgara sūri who is the leader of the Vidhipaksa, has composed this (paripāti).
Jambu-jyoti
We have no other information about the author. Only a single manuscript of this work is available and is preserved in the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad, (numbered 16682). It was obtained originally from the collection of the Nagarseth of Ahmedabad. The date of the manuscript is c. 17th century. It has two pages, each containing 15 lines. Each line has about 42 letters. The date of composition is Samvat 1562 (A. D. 1506). The language employed is simple and hence easy to follow. This composition briefly describes the path from Patan to Citrakūta / Citod, and the caityas and villages they visited on the way pilgrimage
route.
Second Citrakuta paripăți:
We find no mention of the name of the author of this Paripăți, nor do we find the designation of his gaccha or his guru's name in the colophon. Besides, the initial 35 stanzas are missing. Some years ago, Prof. Dhaky had procured its transcript from the Oriental Institute, Baroda, and given it to me for editing. No information was recorded on the transcript about the particulars of the manuscript. However, from the language and description, its date of composition may be placed at the end of 16th or the beginning of 17th century.
Citoḍ
As one of the main townships of Mevad, Citod was, and is, a famous site. It has a reputation as the land of heroes since the medieval times. Its hill-fort rises from the ground to about 500 feet, and is known as Citodgadh. It is of ancient founding. Citrangada (a later Maurya king), according to the tradition, renovated it and so it came to be known after him as Citrakūta. According to Tripuți Mahārāja, this fort-town was settled by Amarsimha Raṇā in Samvat 902 (A. D. 846). (Jaina Tirthono Itihasa, pt., p. 385). In the late Prabandhas, we notice that Siddhasena Divakara (c. earlier half of the 5th cent. A. D.) was also connected with Citod. Besides, Citod was the place of birth as well as of literary activity of the famous Haribhadra suri (c. A.D. 700-784), Hemchandra (active c. 1130-1172) has included this holy place in a hymn, the Šakalārhat-stotra :