Article: Jain holy places

Links

Types of Jain holy sites

Shugan Chand Jain classifies Jain holy sites in this excerpt from his piece entitled 'Jain Festivals (Parva) and Jain Pilgrimage (Teerth yatra)-(B) Pilgrimage'. It forms part of the study notes offered by the International School for Jain Studies in 2009.

This extract was published on HereNow4U.net in 2008.

http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=64649

Digambara temples

Digambar Jain Online provides a list of Digambara temples in India, organised mainly by region. Descriptions of the sites are often accompanied by summaries of the managing organisation and directions.

http://www.digambarjainonline.com/pilgri/pilgri_index.htm

List of Digambara holy places

Jainteerth.com provides a list of Digambara holy places in India, complete with details of the main temple and idol, location, travel information, facilities for pilgrims and contact details of the management organisation. The site also offers background information on temples and Jain principles. Unfortunately, the standard of English is not very good.

http://www.jainteerth.com/default.asp

List of holy sites in Gujarat

Details of holy sites in the western Indian state of Gujarat, including brief descriptions of each place and its history and legends. Found on the commercial site of Khazano.com, the information forms part of the material aimed at visitors to and residents of Gujarat.

http://www.khazano.com/aspx/travel_type_list.asp?PagePosition=7&TYnm=Jain+Tirth+Places

B. N. Goswamy – ‘Mental pilgrimages’

In this 29th March 2009 article, ‘Mental pilgrimages’, B. N. Goswamy muses on tīrtha paṭas in Spectrum, the Sunday magazine of the Tribune newspaper, based in Chandigarh, India.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090329/spectrum/art.htm

Shatrunjaya paṭa

An example of a Shatrunjaya paṭa – decorative map of a holy site – made in Gujarat in 1801. Available online via the Antwerp City Museums Image Bank, the image can be examined in magnified detail. The paṭa is in the Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) in Antwerp, Belgium, which has absorbed the collections of the Etnografisch Museum, among those of other city museums. The description is in Flemish only although most of the website text can also be read in English and French.

http://goo.gl/2cUFr

James Tod biography

An officer in the British East India Company, James Tod (1782–1835) published extensive accounts of the history and geography of India, including details of his travels in Gujarat and Rajasthan between 1819 and 1823. This entry from volume 56 of the Dictionary of National Biography (1885–1900) appears in Wikisource.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tod,_James_%28DNB00%29

Views of the temples at Mount Girnar

Collection of photographs of the temples found at Mount Girnar. The 22nd Jina, Neminātha or Lord Nemi, is closely associated with Mount Girnar, having renounced the world, gained omniscience and then final liberation here. There are 16 Jain temples on the site, which is sacred to both Jains and Hindus. These photographs are presented by Professor Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University in New York.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1000_1099/jaintemples/girnar/girnar.html

Nandīśvara-dvīpa brass sculpture

This freestanding brass sculpture depicts the mythical continent of Nandīśvara, where the gods go to perform religious duties. Depictions of Nandīśvara-dvīpa are frequently worshipped among the Digambara sect, but a metal image is rare. The sculpture features 52 Jinas, both sitting and standing. This piece of art is described as part of a lot auctioned by Christie's in 2002.

http://goo.gl/SDwoH

Past images of Mount Abu

Historical photographs and drawings of Mount Abu, a famous Jain pilgrimage site boasting white marble temples with ornate carvings. These images are presented by Professor Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University in New York.

http://goo.gl/Ulb4X

Historical images of Mount Abu

Look through historical photographs and drawings of the temple-city of Mount Abu in the JAINpedia image gallery, chosen from the online collection of the British Library.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/showgallery.html?id=6469

Views of the temple at Ranakpur

One of the foremost Śvetāmbara pilgrimage sites, the main temple at Ranakpur has around 1,400 intricately carved marble columns. This collection of photographs of the Ādinātha temple at Ranakpur in Rajasthan is presented by Professor Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University in New York.

http://goo.gl/L5SnO

Francis Buchanan biography

This Wikipedia entry profiles Francis Buchanan (1762–1829), who carried out extensive surveys of southern and north-eastern India during the British East India company's expansion into India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Buchanan

Seven Wonders of India – Palitana Temples

The Svetāmbara pilgrimage centre at Mount Shatrunjaya is showcased in this NDTV video on YouTube. Jain pilgrims are shown climbing the steep hill – some carried in a kind of palanquin called a ḍolī – and worshipping in some of the hundreds of temples on the twin hills. The presenter gives a brief outline of the Jain faith and mentions the navanū – ‘99fold’ – pilgrimage, which is one of the hardest and most demanding ones.

Beginning in 2008, the New Delhi Television show Seven Wonders of India asked viewers to vote for their favourite seven sites in the country over a year. Part of a publicity campaign organised by the Ministry of Tourism, the show's presenters visited many sites considered potential winners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZhDyKqfSUI

Views of Shatrunjaya temples

Collection of photographs of the temple-city of Mount Shatrunjaya. The pre-eminent Śvetāmbara pilgrimage site, Shatrunjaya has nearly a thousand temples. The main temple is dedicated to Ṛṣabha, the first Jina, often called Ādinātha or First Lord. These photographs are presented by Professor Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University in New York.

http://goo.gl/wM2fr

Historical images of Mount Shatrunjaya

Look through historical photographs and drawings of the Svetāmbara temple-city of Mount Shatrunjaya in the JAINpedia image gallery, chosen from the online collection of the British Library.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/showgallery.html?id=5585

Sheth Moti Shah enclosure

A view of the Sheth Moti Shah enclosure in the Shatrunjaya temple-city. Completed in 1836, the main temple in the Sheth Moti Shah enclosure – tunk in Gujarati – is dedicated to Ṛṣabha, the first Jina.

This picture is in a photo-gallery on the commercial website of Indian Panorama.

http://www.indianpanorama.in/gallery/palitana_gujarat/pages/Shatrunjaya11_jpg.htm

Shatrunjaya slideshow

This photo slideshow highlights views of the temple-city of Mount Shatrunjaya in Gujarat. Probably the most popular shrine for Śvetāmbara Mūrti-pūjaka Jains, the temples draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and visitors each year. The Gujarat Tourism website provides information in several languages about this site, among others.

http://www.gujarattourism.com/photo-gallery/17

Views of temples at Mukta-giri

The Digambara temple-city of Mukta-giri has 52 temples. Found in Madhya Pradesh, this popular pilgrimage attraction is built in a valley instead of on a high place more usual for holy sites. These images are presented by Professor Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University in New York.

http://goo.gl/KSgcn

Historical images of Gwalior

Look through historical photographs and drawings of the holy site of Gwalior in the JAINpedia image gallery, chosen from the online collection of the British Library.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/showgallery.html?id=6466

Views of pilgrimage site of Gwalior

Photographs of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, including details of interior architecture and the numerous large statues of Jinas for which the site is famous.

Provided by the World Art Treasures, the Fondation Jacques-Edouard Berger in Lausanne, Switzerland.

http://goo.gl/UMDTS

Colin Mackenzie biography

This Wikipedia article on Colin Mackenzie (1753–1821) summarises his career. As the first Surveyor General of India under early British colonial rule, he supervised detailed investigations into Indian architecture, especially in southern India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Mackenzie

Views of Shravana Belgola

Collection of photographs of Shravana Belgola in Karnataka, including details of the colossal statue of Bāhubali and other parts of the site. One of the most famous Jain pilgrimage centres, Shravana Belgola is closely associated with the Digambara sect, although all Jains honour the great Jain saint Bāhubali.

Provided by the World Art Treasures, the Fondation Jacques-Edouard Berger in Lausanne, Switzerland.

http://goo.gl/scg4P

Introduction to Shravana Belgola

This audio slideshow on YouTube introduces the pilgrimage centre of Shravana Belgola in Karnataka. Sacred to the Digambara sect in particular, Shravana Belgola is dedicated to Bāhubali, also called Gommaṭeśvara or ‘Lord of Gommaṭa’. The site is found on the twin hills of Vindhya-giri and Candra-giri, with a large reservoir and the town between them. The centre of the site is the 18-metre-tall statue of Bāhubali on Vindhya-giri. This slideshow was uploaded by Boltell in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K7iodiw8A4

Worship at Shravana Belgola

This short 2009 video films a worship ceremony – pūja – at the pilgrimage site of Shravana Belgola in Karnataka. The temple attendants perform the daily ritual bath – mastakābhiṣeka – on the small metal idol at the bottom of the 18-metre-high statue of Bāhubali, also called Gommaṭeśvara or ‘Lord of Gommaṭa. They trickle water on to the feet of the stone colossus and offer it to worshippers because the water is believed to have special properties after it has been used in the ceremony. The grand version of the rite – Mahā-mastakābhiṣeka or ‘Great head-anointing ceremony’ – is one of the most spectacular Jain festivals and takes place every 12 years, drawing thousands of pilgrims and sightseers. ifredpr uploaded this video to YouTube in 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8d63mJyOSA

Seven Wonders of India – Shravanabelagola

The Digambara pilgrimage site of Shravana Belagola in Karnataka is the subject of this NDTV video on YouTube. The presenter gives a brief history of the site and the story of Bāhubali, whose huge statue is the focus of worship. Some pilgrims in ill health are carried in sedan chairs up and down the steep hill, atop which stands the Bāhubali colossus. Inscriptions protected by heavy sheets of glass are shown. Pilgrims performing worship rituals are filmed, including the sacred bath or ‘head-anointing ceremony’ – mastakābhiṣeka – of a small metal image of Gommaṭeśvara or Bāhubali.

The New Delhi Television show Seven Wonders of India asked viewers to vote for their favourite seven sites in the country. It was part of a publicity campaign organised by the Ministry of Tourism in 2008 to 2009. The show's presenters visited many sites considered potential winners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC2sRJFJ9CQ

Jaina temples of Tamil Nadu

A scholarly project researching the Jain temples of Tamil Nadu, investigating worship rituals and celebrations in addition to the architecture, art and inscriptions of the buildings. Led by the French Institute of Pondicherry, the project will be published as a CD-ROM.

http://ifpindia.org/Jaina-Temples-of-Tamil-Nadu.html

Potters Bar temple

Click the play button to run a slideshow of the Śvetāmbara temple at Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, England shortly before its opening in 2006. The largest Jain temple in Europe, the building demonstrates the intricate carvings and exuberant decorations typical of many Jain shrines in Mūrtipūjaka sects. This slideshow is found on the website of the Oshwal Association of the UK.

http://www.oshwal.co.uk/index.php?option=com_igallery&view=gallery&id=30&Itemid=60

Ayodhyapuram temple

This 2009 photo on Flickr shows the recently built temple of Ayodhyapuram in Vallabhipur in Gujarat, which is dedicated to R̥ṣabha. Taking an innovative design, the temple houses a very large statue of the first Jina in the lotus position, which weighs around 23 tonnes. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22051758@N05/3218938082/

Marianne North biography

This page on Answers.com gives detailed information about the life and career of Marianne North (1830–1890). A British painter famous for lifelike paintings of plants and flowers, North also painted landscapes during 13 years of global travel, spending 1877 to 1878 in India.

http://www.answers.com/topic/marianne-north

Historical images of Shravana Belgola

Look through historical photographs and drawings of the Digambara pilgrimage centre of Shravana Belgola in the JAINpedia image gallery, chosen from the online collection of the British Library.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/showgallery.html?id=6465

Paṭa of Mount Shatrunjaya

A 19th-century Rajasthani example of a paṭa – decorative map of a holy site – of the pilgrimage centre of Mount Shatrunjaya. Owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the United States, the paṭa can be enlarged by clicking on the icon of the magnifying glass. A paṭa can be used to complete a mental pilgrimage to the place depicted, which is believed to be of even more religious value than making the physical journey.

http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/68189.html?mulR=31553|11