Mahudi Jain Temple

Mahudi Jain Tirth
મહુડી
Mahudi Jain Tirth
Mahudi Jain Tirth
Mahudi Jain Temple is located in Gujarat
Mahudi Jain Temple
Location within Gujarat
Religion
AffiliationJainism
SectŚvetāmbara
DeityPadmaprabhu, Ghantakarna Mahavir
FestivalKali Chaudas
Governing bodyMahudi (Madhupuri) Jain Murtipujak Trust
Location
Coordinates23°29′36″N 72°47′00″E / 23.49333°N 72.78333°E / 23.49333; 72.78333
Architecture
CreatorBuddhisagar Suri
Established1917
Specifications
Temple3
Monument6
Website
mahuditemple.com

Mahudi Jain Temple, also known as Mahudi Tirth, is a Śvētāmbara Jain pilgrimage centre at Mahudi in Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, India. The principal Jain temple is dedicated to Padmaprabha, the sixth Tirthankara, while the complex is particularly known for its shrine of Ghantakarna Mahavir, a Jain protective deity.[1]

The modern pilgrimage centre was established under the direction of the Jain monk Buddhisagarsuri in the early 20th century. The Padmaprabha temple was established in 1917, while Buddhisagarsuri subsequently established the anthropomorphic image and public cult of Ghantakarna Mahavir at Mahudi.[1][2]

History

The modern Mahudi Jain temple was established by the Śvētāmbara Jain monk Buddhisagarsuri. The foundation stone for the temple was laid in 1916, and the temple was established in 1917 CE (Vikram Samvat 1974).[2] Buddhisagarsuri (1874–1925) was an influential Jain ascetic and author active in northern Gujarat during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mahudi became one of the religious institutions most closely associated with him.[3] The principal image in the temple is a marble image of Padmaprabha, the sixth Tirthankara.

The religious prominence of Mahudi subsequently became closely associated with the worship of Ghantakarna Mahavir. Buddhisagarsuri established an anthropomorphic image of the protective deity at Mahudi, transforming what scholar John E. Cort describes as a comparatively private tradition transmitted through monastic lineages into a public devotional tradition.[1] Ghantakarna worship at Mahudi became particularly associated with the Tapa Gaccha tradition of Śvētāmbara Jainism.[1]

Ghantakarna Mahavir shrine

Ghantakarna Mahavir is one of the fifty-two viras, or protective deities, recognised in Śvētāmbara Jain traditions.[1][4] Mahudi became the principal modern centre of his worship following Buddhisagarsuri's establishment of his image there.[1] The image represents Ghantakarna standing and holding a bow and arrow. Cort notes that prior to Buddhisagarsuri's establishment of the anthropomorphic image at Mahudi, Ghantakarna was principally represented and worshipped through yantras and other non-anthropomorphic forms. The Mahudi image therefore represents an important development in the modern iconography and public worship of the deity.[1]

Ghantakarna is regarded as a protective deity rather than a Tirthankara. His shrine therefore occupies a religious position distinct from the principal Padmaprabha shrine. The cult of Ghantakarna at Mahudi illustrates the continuing importance of protective deities within Jain devotional and tantric traditions alongside the worship of the Jinas.[1]

Sukhadi offering

One of the best-known religious practices at Mahudi is the offering of sukhadi, a sweet prepared from wheat flour, jaggery and clarified butter, to Ghantakarna Mahavir. The practice is noteworthy within Jain ritual culture because food offered to a Tirthankara is normally not consumed as prasada. At Mahudi, however, the sukhadi is offered to Ghantakarna Mahavir rather than to a Tirthankara and is subsequently consumed by devotees.[5] The offered sukhadi is traditionally consumed within the temple premises rather than being taken outside. Anthropological scholarship consequently identifies Mahudi as an instructive exception to the general Jain practice concerning the consumption of food offerings: the exception is possible precisely because Ghantakarna is a protective deity rather than a liberated Jina.[5]

Kali Chaudas

Kali Chaudas, observed on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the Gujarati month of Aso, is the principal annual festival associated with the Ghantakarna shrine. A havan is performed on the occasion, and large numbers of Jain and non-Jain devotees visit Mahudi.[6] The participation of devotees from outside the Jain community has contributed to Mahudi's importance as a regional pilgrimage centre extending beyond the Śvētāmbara Jain community.[6]

Ghantakarna tradition

Ghantakarna Mahavir was known in Jain religious literature before the establishment of the Mahudi shrine. The Sanskrit Gantakarana Mantra Stotra, attributed to Vimalachandra, reflects an earlier tradition of his worship, while other Jain texts describe him as a vira and kshetrapala (guardian deity).[1][4] Buddhisagarsuri therefore did not originate the deity itself. Rather, his establishment of the Mahudi shrine represented a modern reformulation and popularisation of an older Jain protective-deity tradition.[1]

The distinction is important to the history of the temple: the modern Mahudi shrine dates from the early 20th century, whereas the religious tradition concerning Ghantakarna is considerably older.

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cort 2000, pp. 417–433.
  2. 1 2 Incredible India.
  3. ↑ Cort 2009, pp. 250–251.
  4. 1 2 Shah 1982, pp. 95–97.
  5. 1 2 Laidlaw 1995.
  6. 1 2 Dave 2013.

Sources

  • Cort, John E. (2000). "Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain Tantric Deity". In White, David Gordon (ed.). Tantra in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 417–433. ISBN 9780691057798.
  • Cort, John E. (2009). Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 250–251. ISBN 9780199739578.
  • Shah, U. P. (1982). "Minor Jaina Deities". Journal of the Oriental Institute. 32 (1–2). Oriental Institute, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda: 95–97.
  • Laidlaw, James (1995). Riches and Renunciation: Religion, Economy, and Society among the Jains. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. "Mahudi Jain Temple". Incredible India. Government of India. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  • Gujarat Tourism. "Mahudi Jain Temple". Government of Gujarat. Retrieved 22 August 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Dave, Pranav (2 November 2013). "Kali Chaudas havan revered by all faiths". The Times of India.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.