Shankheshwar Jain Temple

Shri Shankeshwar Tirth
Location
Location	Shankheshvar
Country	India
Architecture
Creator	Sajjan Shah

Tirth is in the center of the village of Shankheshvar. Mulnayak, nearly 182 cm high, is a white-colored idol of Bhagawan Shankheshvar Parshva in the Padmasana posture.

Mythology

In ancient scripture, this tirth is referred to as Shankhapur. The story is that Ashadhi Shrvak became depressed, and began to ask questions about nirvana, liberation, and salvation. Answering all these questions, Damodar Swami, the ninth Tirthankar, said "Parshvanath will be the twenty-third Tirthankar in the Avasarpinikala (the descending half of the wheel of time). You will be his Ganadhar (prime disciple) named Aryaghosha and attain salvation there." Shrvak then became fully absorbed in praying to Bhagawan Parshvanath and worshipping his idol, which went on to be worshipped in the worlds of gods, demons, and on earth.

History

In the year 1155 of the Vikram Era (VE), Sajjan Shah built the Shankheshvar temple on the banks of the Rupen river. In 1286 VE, Vastupal Tejpal renovated this temple under the instructions of Shri Vardhamansurisharji Maharaj Saheb. There were 52 idols in the temple. In 1302 VE, the king, awed by the idol and inspired by Shri Uktasuri Maharaj Saheb, renovated the temple substantially. In the fourteenth century VE, the temple was destroyed by Muslims. In the sixteenth century VE, under the inspiration of Vijaysensurishvarji Maharaj Saheb, a new temple with 52 idols was built. In 1760 VE, the sangha built the new temple and got the idol reinstalled. Besides the original sanctuary, the temple has an open square, a decorated square, a vast square, and two assembly halls.

The idol of Bhagawan Bhidbhanjan Parshvanath is in a small temple to the right of the main idol, and the idol of Bhagawan Ajitnath is in a small temple to the left of the main idol. The idols of Nagraj Dharanendra, Shri Padmavatidevi, Parshva Yaksha and Shri Chakreshvaridevi are also in the temple. On the tenth day of the month of Posh, the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Magasar, and during the Diwali days, thousand of pilgrims come to observe a two-day-long fast. At present, Shri Shankheshvar tirth is under renovation. The doors of the small temples on the passage for going round the temple are being enlarged, and the height of their summits will be raised.

Other buildings

Besides this temple, there are the Agam Mandir, the temple of 108 Parshvanath and Padmavati, the Gurumandir, and other temples. Also, there are an upashray, an ayambilshala, a jnanamandir, a jnanabhandar, a pathshala, and a hall where food is given to pilgrims for their journeys.