Travelogues



October 8th 2019: Tantalizing Taki

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The complete facts of the Antriksh Parshwanath Dispute

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More than 350 years ago, a Jain monk, Shri Yashovijayji Maharaja composed a beautiful stavan (devotional hymn) dedicated to Shri Antriksh Parshwanath, which included the following lines -  कोड़ी देव मिलके न कर सके , एक अँगूठ रूप प्रतिचंद,  ऐसो अद्भुत रूप तिहारो , बरसत मानु अमृत के बून्द ,  जय ! जय ! जय ! जय ! पास जिणंद ,  अंतरिक्ष प्रभु ! त्रिभुवन तारण, भविक कमल उल्लास दिणंद !  Translated, it would mean -  “Even if the aura of a billon celestial beings be combined together, they would not be able to match even an ounce of your beauty!, Witnessing your divine beauty feels as if drops of nectar were falling from the heavens! O Lord Antriksh Parshwanath! Glory be to thee!”  After reading the above lines, one may wonder how beautiful was the idol of Antrikshji Parshwanath, which led Shri Yashovijayji to pen such a beautiful hymn. The divine idol which is said to be so miraculous that it floats mid-air is, however the centrepiece of a lethal dispute between t
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How Shikharji was taken away from Jains

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The Nirvan Bhumi (salvation land) of 20 Jain Tirthankars , Sammet Shikharji (“ Shikharji ”) is one of the most important pilgrimages of Jains since the ancient era. This paramount pilgrimage was known by various names like Sammeyal Giri, Samet Shail, Sametachal, Samet Giri, Samet Shikhar, Samadhi Giri etc . At present, it is known as Sammet Shikharji by Shwetambars and as Sammed Shikharji by Digambars or Parshwanath Hill. The holy hill is one of the highest peaks of India and is situated in the Giridih district of Jharkhand, India. However, years of disregard, various internal disputes and forceful acquisition by the State Government has marred the tirth into a lot of controversies.  Parasnath Tunk, the place where Lord Parshwanath attained Moksha As the #SaveShikharji movement gains momentum, lakhs of petitions have been signed by all Jains to prevent the Jharkhand Government to turn the pious Shikharji hill into a tourism destination. However, the question arises h
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Which is the real birthplace of Lord Mahavir?

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BACKGROUND Religions across the world have always revered the birthplaces of their divine figures with great respect. These places were soon transformed into pilgrimages, in view of the holy aura preserved in the respective birthplaces. Similarly, Jains have also revered the places where the five divine events, i.e. the Panchkalyanaks of Tirthankars (Chyavan, Janma, Diksha, Kevalgyan and Nirvan) had taken place. The last Tirthankar of this cosmic cycle, Shri Vardhaman Mahavir , on whose teachings Jainism has survived, flourished and thrived till date, was born in 599 BC , i.e. nearly 2,618 years ago. Being the last Tirthankar, it would be obvious to assume that all the original locations of Lord Mahavir’s Panchkalyanaks would have been well preserved by Jains; However, the case is not so. Although, it might be surprising, the locations of all the five Kalyanaks of Lord Mahavir are disputed – either between the Shwetambar-Digambar sects or by history scholars. The only Kal
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क्या हम वास्तव में जैन है? ...या कुछ और ?

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बहुत वर्षों पहले की बात है. मैं और कुछ मित्र तीर्थ यात्रा पे निकले थे और वहां पहुंचते पहुंचते देर रात हो गई थी. कमरे के लिए पूछते ही धर्मशाला के मैनेजर ने कार्यवाही शुरू की- “कौन है - कहाँ से आये हैं - कितने दिन रुकेंगे - आप जैन है या नहीं” आदि. वहाँ तक सब ठीक था. फिर अचानक सवाल आया – “ आप कौनसे पंथी हो? ” मेरे कान खड़े हो गए - ये कैसा सवाल था? मैंने पूछा - “कौनसे पंथी मतलब?” तब उन्होंने थोडे विस्तार से पूछा – “कौन से पंथ के हो - श्वेतांबर या दिगंबर?” मैंने कहा – ‘श्वेतांबर’ - और साथ-साथ मैने भी एक सवाल जड़ दिया –“ क्यों ऐसा पूछ रहे हो ? ” तो उन्होंने जवाब दिया – “फॉर्म में सब लिखना पड़ता है. सभी पंथ के लोग उतरते है यहाँ.” मैंने सोचा, चलो ठीक है. मुझे लगा के पूछताछ ख़त्म हो गई तभी सामने से और एक सवाल आया - "मंदिर-मार्गी (मूर्तिपूजक) हो ना?" मैंने जवाब दिया - 'हां'. तुरंत एक और सवाल आया – “तपागच्छ के हो या खरतरगच्छ के?” मैने गुस्से में कह दिया - "आपको मतलब? क्या यह भी फॉर्म में लिखना है?" तो उन्होंने हस्ते हस्ते कहा - "नहीं-नहीं, मुझ
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How was Shatrunjay Tirth owned & managed since the past 2000 years?

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Shatrunjay Mahatirth, Palitana is considered the most sacred Tirth (pilgrimage place) by the Shwetambar Jain community. With more than 865 temples located on the Shatrunjay hill, it is the highest revered pilgrimage in Jain history. It is believed that countless saints, great souls and ascetics have attained the supreme salvation here. However, since the last few years, the Tirth has been mired with controversies with respect to the management of the Shrines of the temples and the hill as a whole. Currently too, an ongoing debate is dividing the Jain community with respect to the management of the Tirth. Therefore, I have attempted to trace the entire available history on how the Tirth was managed since the last 2000 years . This will help the readers have a better understanding of the history of the Tirth and the circumstances under which it was managed. I have also added some of the litigations faced by the Tirth in the span of last two centuries for more clarity on the same. ~~
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