Digamber Jain Bada Mandir Hastinapur

Shri Digamber Jain Prachin Bada Mandir
Main Entrance Gate 'Singh Dwaar' of the Temple Complex
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Sect	Digambara Terapanth
Deity	Shantinatha
Festivals	Akshaya Tritiya, Shanti Vidhan, Das Lakshana, Ashtanhika Parv
Governing body	Shri Digambar Jain Teerth Kshetra Committee
Bhattaraka	Jinchandra
Year consecrated	1806
Location
Location	Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh
Location in Uttar Pradesh
Geographic coordinates	29°09′40.7″N 78°00′23.6″E
Architecture
Creator	Raja Harsukh Rai
Date established	1801
Specifications
Temple(s)	100+
Elevation	224 m (735 ft)
Website
www.jainbaramandirhtr.com

Shri Digamber Jain Prachin Bada Mandir is a Jain temple complex in located in Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh. This is the oldest Jain temple in Hastinapur. The temple is dedicated to Shantinatha, the 16th Jain Tirthankara.

History

Hastinapur Teerth Kshetra is believed to be the birthplace of 16th, 17th and 18th tīrthaṅkaras namely, Shantinatha, Kunthunatha and Aranatha respectively. Jains also believed that it was here in Hastinapur, the first tīrthaṅkara, Rishabhanatha ended his 13-month-long penance after receiving sugarcane juice (ikshu-rasa) from King Shreyans.

Shri Digamber Jain Bada Mandir is the oldest Jain Temple in Hastinapur. The main temple was built in the year 1801 under the auspices of Raja Harsukh Rai, who was the imperial treasurer of the Emperor Shah Alam II. The temple complex encloses a centrally located Mukhya Shikhara surrounded by a group of Jain temples dedicated to various tīrthaṅkara, mostly built in the late 20th century.

Architecture

The principal (Mulanayak) deity in the main temple is of 16th tīrthaṅkara, Shri Shantinath in Padmasana posture. The altar also has idols of 17th and 18th tīrthaṅkaras, Shri Kunthunath and Shri Aranath on each side. In recent year, the temple has observed increase in the number devotees.

Some of the notable monuments and temples in the complex are:

• Manastambha, built in the year 1955, it is a thirty-one feet high structure, situated outside the entrance of the main temple complex.

• Trimurti Mandir, left altar comprises a 12th-century old Shri Shantinatha idol in Kayotsarga posture, Shri Parshvanatha idol in the center and a white color Shri Mahavir Swami idol on the right altar.

• Nandishwardweep, representing an aspect of Jain cosmology was built in the 1980s. Shri Shantinatha and Shri Aranath idols are installed on both sides of the entrance.

• Samavasarana Rachna, a magnificent structure with 111 small chaityalaya, 4 manastambha, representing the Samavasarana of the 19th tīrthaṅkara, Shri Māllīnātha.

• Ambika Devi Temple, an ancient idol of goddess Ambika, recovered from a nearby canal with an image of Shri Neminath carved on the head of goddess.

Other major monuments in the complex are Shri Bahubali Temple, Shri Parshwnath Temple, Jal Mandir, Kirti Stambha and Pandukshila. Shri Digamber Jain Mandir Teeth Kshetra Committee was also set up to manage various Dharamshalas, Bhojnalaya, Jain Library, Acharya Vidyanand Museum and many other facilities for the pilgrims. The Kshetra premises also houses a Post Office, Police Sub-station, Jain Gurukul and an Udaseen ashram. Some other religious sites which comes under the purview of Teeth Kshetra Committee are Kailash Parvat Rachna, 24 Tirthankaras Tonks, and a cluster of four ancient Nishiyajis, situated within 1.5 km from the main temple.

• 
  Central Shikhara of the Mulanayak Temple
• 
  Shri Shantinatha altar in Mulanayak Temple
• 
  12th-century Shantinath image in Kayotsarga
• 
  31 feet (9.4 m) statue of Shantinatha
• 
  4th-century Jain-relief excavated at Nishiyaji

Other temples

Jambudweep Jain Teerth

Main article: Jambudweep

Jambudweep was founded by Gyanmati Mataji in 1972 and the model of Jambudvipa was completed in 1985. Its campus has various Jain temples which includes Sumeru Parvat, Lotus Temple, Teen Murti Mandir, Meditation Temple, Badi Murti, Teen Lok Rachna and many other tourist attractions.

Kailash Parvat Rachna

Kailash Parvat is a 131-feet high structure, built under the aegis of Shri Digambar Jain Teerth Kshetra Committee This temple is dedicated to the first tīrthaṅkara, Rishabhanatha. The Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha of Kailash Parvat was completed in April 2006. The Kailash Parvat complex includes various Jain Temples, Yatri Niwas, Bhojanshala, Auditorium, Helipad.

Shri Shwetambar Jain Temples

Shri Shantinath Shwetambar Temple was renovated in the mid 20th century and the consecration ceremony took place in Margashirsha of VS 2021. Jain Sthanak and Dada Vaadi of the Sthānakavāsī sect are also situated near to Shwetambar Temple.

Ashtapad Teerth

Ashtapad Teerth

Shri Ashtapad Teerth was built under the aegis of Shri Hastinapur Jain Shwetambar Teerth Trust. It is a 46-metre-high (151 ft) structure, notable for its intricate architecture and stone-carvings. Its Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha took place in December 2009 under the grace of Gachhadipati Acharya Nityanand Surishwerji. Ashtapad Teerth depicts the geography of Mount Ashtapad which according to Jain scriptures, is the site where the first Jain tirthankara, Rishabhadeva attained moksha (nirvana).

• 
  Mahavir Swami Temple
• 
  Kailash Parvat Rachna
• 
  Mahavira Jal Mandir
• 
  Jambudweep Rachna
• 
  Shri Shantinatha Shwetambar Temple

Important festivals

• Adinath Nirvana Mahotsava
• Akshaya Tritiya
• Holi Fair
• Ashtahnika Parv
• 40-day-long Shanti Vidhan
• Shantinatha Kalyanakas Mahotsava
• Das Lakshana
• Kartik Fair

See also

• Parshvanath Jain temple, Varanasi
• Naya Mandir

References

Sources

• Cort, John E. (2001), Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-513234-2
• Caillat, Colette; Balbir, Nalini (2008), Jaina Studies, vol. 9, Motilal Banarsidass Publication, ISBN 9788120832473
• Shah, Natubhai (2004) [First published in 1998], Jainism: The World of Conquerors, vol. I, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-1938-2
• Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998), Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-violence, Motilal Banarsidass Publication, ISBN 978-81-208-1534-6
• Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992], The Jains (Second ed.), London and New York: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-26605-5
• Cort, John E. (2010), Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-538502-1
• Devashish, Dasgupta (2011), Tourism Marketing, Pearson Education India, ISBN 978-81-317-3182-6
• Kumar, Sahdev (2020), Mera Meerut (in Hindi), Uttkarsh Prakashan, ISBN 978-93-88155-85-4
• Keul, István (2015), Asian Religions, Technology and Science, vol. 15, Routledge, ISBN 9781317674481
• Schnapp, Alain (2014), World Antiquarianism: Comparative Perspectives, Getty Publications, ISBN 978-1606061480
• Tandon, O. P. (1986). Jaina Shrines in India. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 978-81-230-2454-7.
• Know Your State Uttar Pradeshpublisher=Arihant Publications India limited. 2019. ISBN 978-93-131-9643-3.
• "Hastinapur". www.uptourism.gov.in. Uttar Pradesh Tourism. Retrieved 16 August 2020.