Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

, a ''manastambha'' () is a pillar that is often constructed in front of

Jain temple 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 ge ...

s or large Jain statues. In

North India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

, they are topped by four

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...

images. According to the ''Digambara''

Jain texts Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jainism, Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical ''Jain Agamas'', which ...

like '' Adi Purana'' and ''Tiloyapannati'', a huge ''manastambha'' stands in front of the '' samavasarana'' (divine preaching hall) of the tirthankaras, which causes someone entering a ''samavasarana'' to shed their pride. A monolithic manastambha is a standard feature in the Jain temples of Moodabidri. They include a statue of

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

deva on the top as a guardian yaksha.

Examples

Some of the well known Jain manastambhas are: * Kirti Stambha of Chittorgarh. The Vijaya Stambha was inspired by this. * Manastambhas of Devagarh * Manastambhas of Moodabidri * Manastambhas of Shravanabelagola * Manastambha at

Shikharji Shikharji (), also known as Sammet or Sammed Shikharji, is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Jains, in Giridih district, Jharkhand. It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. It is the most important ...

at Madhuvan Manastambhas in South India are generally

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...

ic.

Photo gallery

File:Hutessing Temple3 Ahmedabad.JPG, Kirti Stambha of Hutheesing Jain Temple File:Temple_de_Shanthinath.jpg, Kirti Stambha at

Chittorgarh fort Chittorgarh (literally Chittor Fort), also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls ove ...

File:MahaveeJi Stambh.jpg, Manastambha at Shri Mahavirji Temple, Rajasthan, India File:Maansthamb tijara jain temple.jpg, Manastambha at Tijara Jain Temple, Rajasthan, India File:Jain Temple -01 by Jain Center of Greater Phoenix (JCGP).jpg, Manastambha at Jain Center of Greater Phoenix (JCGP), Phoenix, Arizona, United States File:1000-Pillar-Temple-Moodbidri-Main-Pillar.jpg, Manastambha at

Saavira Kambada Basadi Saavira Kambada Temple () or Tribhuvana Tilaka Cūḍāmaṇi), is a ''basadi'' or Jain temple noted for its 1000 pillars in Moodabidri, Karnataka, India. The temple is also known as "Chandranatha Temple" since it honours the tirthankara Chandr ...

, Moodbidri, Karnataka, India File:Desur_Digambar_Jain_Temple.jpg, Desur Jain temple and Manastambha at Desur, Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu, India File:Nasiyan Jain Temple - Full View.jpg, Manasthamba at Ajmer Jain temple File:Jain Temple, Chandni Chowk 01 (Friar's Balsam Flickr).jpg, Manastambha at Lal Mandir

References

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External links