Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

has been present in

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...

since ancient times. The famous Ellora Caves demonstrate that Jainism was part of a thriving religious culture in Maharashtra in premodern times.

History

Jainism in Maharashtra has a long history. The oldest inscription in Maharashtra is a 2nd-century BC Jain inscription in a cave near Pale village in the

Pune District Pune district (Marathi pronunciation: uɳeː is the most populous district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The district's population was 9,429,408 in the 2011 census, making it the fourth most populous district amongst India's 640 district ...

. It was written in the Jain Prakrit and includes the

Navkar Mantra The Ṇamōkāra mantra or Navkar Mantra is the most significant mantra in Jainism, and one of the oldest mantras in continuous practice. This is the first prayer recited by the Jains while meditating. The mantra is also variously referred t ...

. The first Marathi inscription known is at

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage d ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

near the left foot of the statue of

Bahubali Bahubali (), a much revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a year in a standing posture (''kayotsarg ...

, dated 981 CE. Maharashtra was ruled many Jain rulers such as the

Rashtrakuta dynasty Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing the ...

and the

Shilahara The Shilahara Kingdom (IAST: Śilāhāra; also Sinhara, Shailahara, Shrilara, and Silara) was a royal dynasty that established itself in northern and southern Konkan in 8th century CE, present-day Mumbai and Southern Maharashtra (Kolhapur) du ...

s. Many of forts were built by kings from these dynasties and thus

Jain temples A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings g ...

or their remains are found in them. Texts such as the ''Shankardigvijaya'' and ''Shivlilamruta'' suggest that a large number of

Marathi people The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as ...

followed jainism in the ancient period.

Jain communities in present day Maharashtra

There are many native jain communities in present day Maharashtra. The communities tend to be endogamous, and generally do not intermarry with the Jains who have arrived from

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Cen ...

.They belong to the Digambar sect.The four largest communities by numbers are: * Saitwal, originally Tailors and Cloth Merchants *

Chaturtha Chaturtha is the biggest community (endogamous group) of Digambara Jains. Chaturthas are spread all over southern and western Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. Chaturths are bilinguals, originally Kannada speakers, but now speak Marath ...

, originally agriculturists, now engaged in various professions * Panchama, various professions * Kasar, traditionally coppersmiths Each of the above communities are affiliated to their own

Matha A ''matha'' (; sa, मठ, ), also written as ''math'', ''muth'', ''mutth'', ''mutt'', or ''mut'', is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism.

and led by the Matha leader called

Bhattaraka A Bhaṭṭāraka ( pka, भट्टारक "holy one") heads traditional Digambara Jain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running ...

. In addition to the above four, there are several smaller native Maharashtrian Jain communities. *

Upajjhaya Upadhyaya is a Brahmin name from Sanskrit ''upādhyāya'' "teacher" (from ''upa'' ‘with, under’ + ''adhyāya'' ‘studying’).https://www.ancestry.ca/name-origin?surname=Upadhyay Notable people *Amar Upadhyay, Indian model, film and telev ...

* Kamboja * Harada *Jabade, Jain community in Maharashtra *

Dhakad Dhakar is a Hindu small landlord and agricultural peasant caste in the Indian state of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is I ...

A small Jain community found primarily in Western Vidarbha districts of Akola, Yavatmal, Washim and Amravati. Jains from other regions have a large population in Maharashtra. Majority of them are from

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern ...

and

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. Some of them are from

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

and

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...

. Some of these communities have been in Maharashtra for centuries, and are now indistinguishable from the native residents of Maharashtra. They are divided in following large groups: *

Agrawal Agrawal (anglicised as Agarwal, Agerwal, Agrawala, Agarwala, Agarwalla, Aggarwal, Agarawal, Agarawala) is a Bania community found throughout northern, central and western India, mainly in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Hi ...

* Oswal * Sarawagi * Jaiswal * Shrimali *

Humad Humad (or Humbad) is the name of an ancient Jain community originally from Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. Their traditional center is Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, Dungarpur and Sagwada region, often called Vagad Vagad (also known as Vagar, Hindi: ...

* Bagherwal * Palliwal *

Porwad Porwad (also known as Porwal) are mainly Jain or Hindu community that originated in southern Rajasthan, India. Ancient inscriptions written in Sanskrit refer to the community as ''Pragvata''. They originated from a region east of ancient S ...

* Ban *Parmar

Religious organizations

The

Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha (DBJS), also known as the South Indian Jain Association, is a religious and social service organization of the Jains in India. The organization is headquartered at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. The association is credi ...

is a religious and social service organization of the

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

s of South India. The organization is headquartered at

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is ...

, Maharashtra, India. The association is credited with being one of the first Jain associations to start reform movements among the Jains in modern India. The organization mainly seeks to represent the interests of the native Jains of Maharashtra (

Marathi Jains Jainism has been present in Maharashtra since ancient times. The famous Ellora Caves demonstrate that Jainism was part of a thriving religious culture in Maharashtra in premodern times. History Jainism in Maharashtra has a long history. The ...

) and Karnataka (

Kannada Jains Karnataka, a state in South India has a long association with Jainism, a religion which enjoyed patronage of major historic kingdoms in the state such as the Rastrakuta Dynasty, Western Ganga, Kadamba and Chalukya dynasties and the Hoysala E ...

Jainism in Mumbai

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

has one of the largest populations of

Jains Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

amongst all the cities in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. Mumbai also has numerous

Jain Tirthas and Temples

* Ellora Jain Caves * Mangi-Tungi *

Kumbhoj Kumbhoj (pronounced as ''kam'bho'j'') is the name of an ancient town located in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. The town is about eight kilometers from Hatkanangale, about twenty seven kilometers from Kolhapur and currently, also is the Taluka ...

* Jahaj Mandir,

Mandwala Mandwala is a village in Jalore tehsil of Jalore district of Rajasthan state in India. It lies 19 km to the north-west of Jalore town. The village has a government higher secondary school (for girls and boys), and a government hospital. Ma ...

Shantinath Jain Teerth The Shantinath Jain Teerth, also known as Shri 1008 Shantinath Digambar Jain Mandir, is a Jain temple located in Indapur, Pune, Maharashtra. The design and architecture of the temple is patterned after that of South Indian temples. The temple i ...

* Godiji Parshwanath Temple,

Nemgiri Nemgiri is a place in Jintur taluka of Parbhani district of Maharashtra state of India. Nemgiri is particularly known for its Jain temple which is protected by state government and Archaeological Survey of India. History Nemgiri is named a ...

in Parbhani district * Katraj Tirth, Pune *

Gajpanth Gajpanth (also spelled ''Gajpantha'') is a Digambar Jain pilgrimage site (''Siddha-kshetra'') located in Mhasrul village, in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It's managed and maintained by Registered Trust No. A-193/NSK. ...

* Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple, Walkeshwar * Shri Antariksha Parshvanath * Shree Vimalnath Bhagwan Tirth,

Sakri Sakri is a census town and a taluka in the Dhule District of the Nashik division, Maharashtra state, India. The town of Sakri is the administrative headquarters for Sakri Taluka. Another Sakri is in Bihar, which is now a railway junction. ...

* Shirpurji teerth, Dhule district,

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nash ...

* Pashvanath Jain Temple,

Nijampur Dhule ''Nijampur-Jaitane'', about north-east of Pimpalner, is a small village in Sakri tehsil in Dhule district of Maharashtra state in India. Location Nijampur-Jaitane lies about 19 km north of Sakri. Maharashtra State Highway 17 (MSH 17) ...

* Shri 1008 Mallinath Digamber Jain Atishaya Kshetra, Shirad Shahpur * Shri vimalnatha swami Jain shwetambar temple in Bibwewadi * Kachner Jain temple in

Aurangabad, Maharashtra Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...

* Paithan Jain Tirth * Trimurti Digambar Jain Mandir in

Sanjay Gandhi National Park Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as SGNP, is an protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1969 with its headquarters situated at Borivali. The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves, sculpted by monks out of the rocky basalti ...

Borivali Borivali (Pronunciation: oːɾiʋəliː is a suburb and is located at the north-western end of Mumbai and has a large Gujarati population followed by others. Traditionally the tribals and East Indians lived in Borivali. The attractions incl ...

* Shree Mahavir Jain Temple in

Pimpri-Chinchwad Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune is the northwestern city limits of Pune, India. Geographically, it is located at an altitude above sea level, at a distance of about northwest of its historic centre. The neighbourhood is home to extensive industry and ...

near Pune * Ramtek * Shri Digamber Jain Siddha Kshetra Kunthalgiri, Dist. Osmanabad, Maharashtra

Gallery

File:Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg, Jain cave in

Ellora Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 CE., Quote: "These 34 ...

File:Shri 1008 Shantinath Jain Temple.JPG,

, Indapur,

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

File:Dharmachakra, lord mahaviras temple.jpg, Shree Dharmachakra Prabhav Tirth at

File:Summit of Shantinath Jain Mandir, Ramtek. - panoramio.jpg, Shantinath Jain temple, Ramtek File:Jain Pavapuri Jal Mandir Katraj Pune.JPG, Jain Pavapuri Jal Mandir in Katraj, Pune File:Jain temple in bombay 3.jpg, Walkeshwar Jain temple in

File:Jain Temple located in Dadawadi.jpg, Dadabadi,

Jalgaon Jalgaon () is a city in Maharashtra, India. The city is located in North Maharashtra, and serves as the administrative headquarters of its namesake district, the Jalgaon district. Jalgaon is colloquially known as the “''Banana City of Ind ...

File:Godiji.jpg, Shri Godiji Parshwanth, Mumbai File:23rd Tirthankara Parshva Parsvanath Parshvanatha Jainism India.jpg, Idol of Lord Shri Parshvanath at Kachner File:Lord_Mahaveer_at_dharashiv_cave.jpg, Lord Mahaveer at Dharashiv Caves

Notable Marathi Jains

* Walchand Hirachand * Ajit Gulabchand *

Akshar Kothari Akshar Kothari is an Indian television actor predominantly working in the Marathi language. He is best known for his role as Shantanu on the daily soap ''Swabhiman - Shodh Astitvacha''. Personal life Kothari was married with Mansi Naik in 2 ...

* V. Shantaram * Sandhya Shantaram * Kiran Shantaram * Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil * Bal Patil *

Suresh Jain Sureshkumar Bhikamchand Jain, better known as Sureshdada Jain, is an Indian politician from Jalgaon, Maharashtra. He changed his party affiliation a number of times in his political career and has been elected to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha fo ...

Vaibhav Mangle Vaibhav Mangle ( mr, वैभव मांगले) is a Marathi actor and Hindi film, television and stage actor, noted for his comic roles in Marathi theatre and Marathi films and television from India. Anand Ingle and Vaibhav Mangle are s ...

Raju Shetti Devappa Anna Shetti (known as Raju Shetti) ( mr, राजू शेट्टी) is an Indian Politician and former Member of Parliament of India from Hatkanangle constituency in the 16th Lok Sabha. He is the president of the Swabhimani Paks ...

Vidyadhar Johrapurkar Vidyadhar Pasusa Johrapurkar (born 1935) is a Sanskritist, social anthropologist and historian. His name is sometimes spelt as Vidyadhar Pasusa Joharapurkar. He specializes in Jainism and Jain philosophy. Prof. Dr. Vidyadhar Pasusa Johrapurkar i ...

* Nirmalkumar Phadkule * Vilas Adinath Sangave *

Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale (15 January 1910 – 30 September 1988) was an Indian freedom fighter. He was born in a Chaturtha Digambar Jain family at Ankalkhop. Navale lost his father and his elder brother in his childhood. He completed his ...

* Kallapa Awade *

Rajendra Patil Rajendra Patil (Yadravkar) is a politician from Kolhapur district, Maharashtra who is currently Minister of State in the government of Maharashtra. He was appointed Minister of state for Public Health & Family Welfare, Medical Education, Food & ...

Justice Bhalchandra Vagyani Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

Dhananjay Gunde Arjuna ( Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among P ...

References

External links

JainConnect.org - Newly evolving Online Portal/Directory for Jain Community

A portal to connect jains and discuss about Jainism and other things

Jain Tirthas in Maharashtra

Ellora

History Of Maharashtra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jains In Maharashtra Jain communities Jainism in India History of Maharashtra