JAINISM IN INDIA

JAINISM IN INDIA

About Jainism

• Claims lineage of 24 Tirthankaras
• Mahavira was the last Trithankara (6th century BCE)
• Parshavantha is claimed to be the 23rd Trithankara (9th century BCE)
• Jainism predates Buddhism

IMPORTANT PEOPLE OF JAINISM

1. Parshvanatha
   • He was the 23rd Tirthankara
   • Lives in Varanasi around 800 BCE
   • Son of king Ashvasena and queen Vama of Varanasi
   • Attained nirvana atop mountain Sammet Shikar, now known as Parasnath Hills
2. Vardhamana Mahavira
   • He was the 24th and last Tirthankara
   • Born 599 BCE in Kshatriyakunda in Bihar
   • Father was king Siddharta and mother Queen Tishala
   • At age 30 gave up wordly possessions and wandered as an ascetic for 12 years
   • Attained nirvana 527 BCE at Pawapuri near Rajgir at age 72
3. Acharya Bhadrabahu
   • Influential Jain monk who lived 433 BCE – 357 BCE
   • He was the spiritual teacher of Changradgupta Maurya
   • Led Chandragupta Maurya and other followers to Karnataka to avoid famine in the north
   • The Digambara sect of Jainism follows his teachings
   • Composed important Jaina texts like Upsargahara Stotra and Kalpasutra

THE COUNCILS OF JAINISM

1. First Council
   • Held at Pataliputra
   • supervised by Stulabhadra (disciple of Bhadrabahu)
   • Established the Jain canon Siddhanta, from which the teachings of Svetambaras derived
2. Second Council
   • Held at Vallabhi (Gujarat)
   • Supervised by Devardhi Kshama-sramana
   • Objective was to collect all Jain sacred texts and compile them in books

THE SECTS OF JAINISM

1. Digambara
   • Implies sky-clad
   • Digambara monks do not wear clothes
   • Digambara ascetics have only two possessions: a peacock feather broom and a water gourd
   • Believe women cannot attain moksha
2. Svetambara
   • Implies white-clad
   • Svetambara monks wear white clothes
   • Do not believe that women cannot attain moksha

IMPORTANT JAIN SITES IN INDIA

1. Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves
   • Located near Bhubaneshwar
   • Commissioned as quarters for Jain monks by Kharavela in the 2nd century BCE
   • Caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri that face each other
   • Udayagiri caves house the famous Hathigumpha Inscription of Kharavela
2. Parasnath Hills
   • One of the most sacred places of Jainism
   • Located near Giridih in Jharkhand
   • 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras attained nirvana here, including Parshvanatha
3. Shravanabelagola
   • Houses the 57 foot statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali
   • Built around 980 CE by Chamundaraya a general of Ganga king Gangaraya
   • The Mahamastakabhisheka is performed every 12 years for the statue
   • The last ceremony was held in 2006, next one will be held in 2018
   • It is one of the largest monolith statues in the world (carved out of a single rock)

IMPORTANT JAIN TEMPLES IN INDIA

Temple	Location	Notes
Dilwara	Rajasthan	Built by Chalukyas 11-13th centuries Famous for use of marble
Ranakpur	Rajashtan	Built in the 14-15th centuries
Bawangaja	Madhya Pradesh	84 foot statue of first Tirthankara Rishabha (Adinatha) Erected 12th century CE
Sonagiri Courtsy:- iashelp.com	Madhya Pradesh