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 since ancient times. The famous

Ellora Caves 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 mo ...

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 The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is us ...

and includes the Navkar Mantra. 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 de ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

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 thei ...

and the Shilaharas. Many of forts were built by kings from these dynasties and thus Jain temples or their remains are found in them. Texts such as the ''Shankardigvijaya'' and ''Shivlilamruta'' suggest that a large number of Marathi people 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 Central ...

.They belong to the

Digambar ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing ...

sect.The four largest communities by numbers are: * Saitwal, originally Tailors and Cloth Merchants * Chaturtha, 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. In addition to the above four, there are several smaller native Maharashtrian Jain communities. * Upajjhaya * Kamboja * Harada *Jabade, Jain community in Maharashtra * Dhakad 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 s ...

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 seco ...

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 1950 ...

. 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 *

Oswal The Oswal (sometimes spelled Oshwal or Osval) are a Jain community with origins in the Marwar region of Rajasthan and Tharparkar district in Sindh. They claim to be of Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large ...

Sarawagi The Sarawagi or Saraogi or Sarawgi Jain community, meaning a Jain Śrāvaka, is also known as the Khandelwal. They originated from Khandela, a historical town in northern Rajasthan. The Sarawagi community owes its name to a strong historical a ...

* Jaiswal * Shrimali * Humad * Bagherwal * Palliwal * Porwad * Ban *Parmar

Religious organizations

The Dakshin Bharat Jain Sabha 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) and Karnataka ( Kannada Jains).

Jainism in Mumbai

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

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 seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Mumbai also has numerous Jain temples.

Jain Tirthas and Temples

* Ellora Jain Caves *

Mangi-Tungi Mangi-Tungi is a prominent twin-pinnacled peak with plateau in between, located near Tahrabad about 125 km from Nashik, Maharashtra, India. Mangi, high above sea level, is the western pinnacle and Tungi, high, the eastern. Mangi-Tungi ...

* Kumbhoj *

Jahaj Mandir Jahaj Mandir is a Jain temple in the village of Mandwala in the Jalore district, Rajasthan, India. The temple is built in the shape of a boat and is carved from marble. The temple was founded in 1993 for the religion of Jainism. On 9 May 1993, ...

, Mandwala *

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 ...

* Godiji Parshwanath Temple,

* Nemgiri in Parbhani district * Katraj Tirth, Pune * Gajpanth * Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple,

Walkeshwar Walkeshwar (Pronunciation: �aːɭkeʃʋəɾ is an affluent area in South Mumbai, India, at the north-western end of the Marine Drive loop. It has a large Gujarati population. It is mostly known for Walkeshwar Temple, Banganga Tank and Jain t ...

* Shri Antariksha Parshvanath * Shree Vimalnath Bhagwan Tirth, Sakri * 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. Nashi ...

* Pashvanath Jain Temple, Nijampur Dhule * 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 Ramtek is a city and municipal council in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, India. History Ramtek hosts the historic temple of Rama. It is believed that Ramtek was the place where Rama, the Hindu god, rested while he was in exile. According to H ...

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

Gallery

File:Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg, Jain cave in Ellora File:Shri 1008 Shantinath Jain Temple.JPG,

Indapur Indapur is a town and a municipal council in Pune district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Indapur is known for Jahagir of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's father and grandfather. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's grandfather Malojiraje died in ba ...

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 Gajpanth 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 Katraj is suburb of Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and within the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation. Katraj is famous for its Peshwa-era (18th century) lake that supplied water to the city during that period. The village li ...

, 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 Indi ...

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 Walchand Hirachand Doshi (23 November 1882 – 8 April 1953) was an Indian industrialist and the founder of the Walchand group. He established India's first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory; he also established co ...

* Ajit Gulabchand * Akshar Kothari * V. Shantaram *

Sandhya Shantaram Sandhya Shantaram (née Vijaya Deshmukh) is an Indian actress born in 1938. She is best known for her appearances in various Hindi and Marathi films directed by her husband V. Shantaram, in 1950s-1960s, most notably '' Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baa ...

Kiran Shantaram Kiran Shantaram (born 1942) is an Indian film personality and former Sheriff of Mumbai. He is the son of V. Shantaram and Jayashree. He is chairman of V. Shantaram foundation and head of Asian Film Foundation. He is also the chairman of Prabhat ...

Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil (22 September 1887 – 9 May 1959), born in Kumbhoj, Kolhapur, was a social activist and educator in Maharashtra, India. A strong advocate of mass education, he founded the Rayat Education Society. Bhaurao played an i ...

* Bal Patil * Suresh Jain *

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 *

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 * Kallapa Awade * Rajendra Patil * Justice Bhalchandra Vagyani * Dhananjay Gunde

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