Why am I deeply concerned for this loss?

The constant buzz of the phone forced me out of my morning slumber yesterday. Still groggy from sleep, I attended the call. What I heard shocked the wits out of me! At first I thought it was a nightmare...It could not be true...how could this happen????

After the initial shock, it was still unable to sink in that the mulnayak pratimaji (main idol) of Lord Mahavir Swami Bhagwan at the birthplace of the lord, Kshatriyakund was stolen by 15 smugglers/ dacoits/ naxalites (still unknown) in the previous night ! Such terrifying unimaginable act was more painful for to the fact that the 41" idol made of Touch Stone (Kasauti Patthar) was installed by lord's brother, Shri Nandivardhan more than 2500 years ago. The emotions attached with the pratimaji cannot be explained in mere words !


The divine pratimaji of the Lord


For Shwetambar Jains, Kshtariyakund is the birthplace of Lord Mahavira, thus it holds a very sacred importance. It is also the place where lord renounced the world and became an ascetic. Every particle of this land is, therefore, sacred and this place has a great significance. Kshatriyakund is situated atop a hill near the village of Lachhavad, in Munger District in the state of Bihar.

Kshatriyakund Hill


The hill endowed with natural beauty

 My tryst with Kshatriyakund and the lord started many years back, when I read a book named "Adi-Jin-Bimb Nirmaan Prabandh" by Param Pujya Acharyadev Shrimad Vijay Hemratna Surishwarji Maharaja about how pujya gurubhagwant was inspired by the divinity of this Pratimaji that he visualized creating an entire new Teerth at Shahpur (Manas-Mandiram, Maharashtra).


The Jinalay atop the hill

I was deeply fascinated by the way gurudev described about his experience when he witnessed the lord for the first time. How he was mesmerized by the beauty of the lord that he did not realize that he was singing hymns in praise of the lord from dawn to dusk ! How he did not wish to leave the temple, how he was so besotted with the lord that he could not think of anything apart from the lord! All the adjectives used by gurudev are still etched in my memories and do not fail to give me goosebumps every time I recall them ! Pujyashri also called in skilled sculptors across the country, but none could create the replica of the idol.

This fascination continued for years but it was only in 2007 and subsequently in 2011 that I got to witness this divinity very closely. Both these experiences had left a massive impression that I can just say that I fell in love with the lord.

The pratimaji is seated on a Pabasan (Platform) of a lotus atop an inverted lotus below three layered Chattras flanked by two demi gods on each of the sides. The Parikar of the pratimaji depicts how the demi gods served the lord after his Kevalgyaan (Omniscience). As for describing the beauty of the lord, it is impossible to explain divinity ! It was not just the pratima for me, but my lord ! In 2011, I got the wonderful opportunity of conducting 18 Abhishek's on the lord. Today also, I can recall each Abhishek with exact details !

My 18 Abhishek Experiences


Meru Shikhar Navrahve !


Pratimaji smeared with Vasakshap during 18 Abhishek 

And today, the pratimaji is not with us. Some miscreants have taken it away from us while we remain unconcerned deeply indulged in our luxuries.

  • I am deeply concerned about the fact that some people can dare to take our lord for making a few crores of money !
  • I am deeply concerned about the fact that Kshatriyakund is the very place where 3 Kalyanaks of the lord took place and these people have no concern for the sentiments of the holiness of the place. The very place where Mata Trishala gave birth to the lord of the three worlds ! The very place where Raja Siddharth's palace was filled with happiness on birth of the lord ! The very place where lord renounced the world !
  • I am deeply concerned about the fact that this theft has got negligible media coverage and the Government is not really concerned about this loss to the entire Jain community. Despite of initiating an online petition which has garnered close to 5000 signatures, and sending it to the Chief Minster of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar, the Government has not taken stern measures to recover the pratimaji.


I request all the members of the Jain Community to be united in this time of crisis and contribute in any way possible because this is not the matter of an idol but of our lord. I request we all pray to Sashan Dev so that we recover the pratimaji unharmed at any cost, otherwise this loss to the entire community will be irreparable.

This post was written on 29th November 2015, when the idol of Lord Mahavir was taken away by smugglers. By lord's grace, the same was recovered on 6th December, 2015 on the holy eve of Diksha Kalyanak of Lord Mahavir.

Comments

  1. Very sad. I am very angry on jain people because they never united. They distributed in swetamber, digamber, sthanakwasi and terapanti. We need to be united now

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  2. Very sad. I am very angry on jain people because they never united. They distributed in swetamber, digamber, sthanakwasi and terapanti. We need to be united now

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  3. Great initiative..!
    Let us all unite and pray that this nightmare ends soon and we get the murti back in no time.

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  4. We need to pray shashan devta. We need to do jaap & Kausaga samayik . 100% they will help us. Need to be very sincere and powerful . focus on lord Mahavira full of Lakshanos ....concentrate.... We will gain it....

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  5. All our jain community should united and fight with the get back of our stolen pritamaji of Lord Mahaveer

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  6. All our jain community should united and fight with the get back of our stolen pritamaji of Lord Mahaveer

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  7. As per my understanding it's not about a particular religion .we should stand for protect the value of any religion . how can this happen.strange..Some strong initiatives to be taken. In spite of being non jain I am with you .

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  8. I request all jains please stand up and fight for recovery of idol.....Come on streets show our anger ...to government in nonviolence way.....if we don't wake up now.....don't even hope all our tirth n temples are safe...

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  9. I too am a deep follower of the Jain Dharam though not born in a Jain family I sincerely urge all the members Jain or AJain to join hands against this cruel act.

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  10. We should pray our shashan rakshak we can get back our lord...its not just an idol...its our lord..

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  11. We should pray our shashan rakshak we can get back our lord...its not just an idol...its our lord..

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  12. Oh my pity. How dare can anyone commit a heinous act of plundering the heritage we have. It is just that we are not united and under the false realm of non violence, we have never been able to achieve any significant feat.
    Imagine what would have happened if a small incident had damaged a mosque. What I mean to say is, it is our duty to protect.
    I truly appreciate the initiative by Arpit bhai, but then again,are we getting the lord back?

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  13. unfortunate for any jain that such a precius bhagvan stolen.god please return

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  14. This is really disturbing news. I think police must trace all the mobiles in the region at the time of theft. I am fairly sure they should be able to trace down thieves if they wish so.

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