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 ...

has been present in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

since ancient times. The famous

Ellora Caves The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 AD, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves., Quote: "The ...

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. It was written in the

Jain Prakrit Prakrit ( ) is a group of vernacular classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 5th century BCE to the 12th century CE. The term Prakrit is usually applied to the middle period of Middle Ind ...

and includes the Navkar Mantra. The first Marathi inscription known is at

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola (pronunciation: ) 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 ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

near the left foot of the statue of

Bahubali Bahubali (, ) was the son of Rishabhanatha (the first ''tirthankara'' of Jainism) and the brother of the ''Chakravarti (Sanskrit term), chakravartin'' Bharata (Jainism), Bharata. He is a revered figure in Jainism. He is said to have meditated ...

, dated 981 CE.

in Maharashtra was patronised by many rulers such kings from the

Shilahara Shilahara was a royal dynasty that established itself in northern and southern Konkan in 8th century CE, present-day Mumbai and Southern Maharashtra ( Kolhapur) during the Rashtrakuta period. The founder of the Shilahara dynasty, Sanaphulla, ...

s and

Rashtrakuta The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapu ...

. 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 gen ...

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 language, Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They ...

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 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 belong to the

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

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'' (; , ), 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 (; ) heads traditional Digambara Jain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running Jain institutions. Overview The ...

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

Upajjhaya Upadhyay is a surname. Notable people who bear the name include: * Amar Upadhyay (born 1976), Indian model, film and television actor * Amod Prasad Upadhyay (born 1936), Nepalese social worker and politician * Ayodhya Prasad Upadhyay (1865– ...

* Kamboja * Harada *Jabade, Jain community in Maharashtra * Dhakad A small Jain community found primarily in Western Vidarbha districts of Akola, Yavatmal, Washim and Amravati.

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 cred ...

, Veer Seva Dal are religious and social service organization of the Jains 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. Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...

, 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).

Jain Tirthas and Temples

; Cave temple * Ellora Jain Caves * Nasik Caves * Manmodi Caves *

Mangi-Tungi Mangi-Tungi is a prominent twin-pinnacled peak and Digambar Jain Pilgrimage Site, located near Tahrabad about 125 km from Nashik, Maharashtra, India. Mangi, high above sea level, is the western pinnacle and Tungi, high, the eastern. Ma ...

; Main temple * Shantinath Jain Teerth * Gajpanth * Kumbhoj * Shantinath Jain Teerth * Shantinath temple,

Ramtek Ramtek is a city and municipal council in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, India. Religious significance Ramtek hosts a historic temple of Rama. It is believed that Ramtek was the place where Rama, the Hindu god, rested while he was in exile, ...

* Jahaj Mandir, MandwalaJahaj mandir
*

Jintur Jintur city is a municipal council in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra, India. Geography Jintur is located at . It has an average elevation of 455 metres (1492 feet). Demographics As population of 2011 India census, Jintur has po ...

* Godiji Parshwanath Temple,

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

* Nemgiri in

Parbhani district Parbhani district () is one of the eight districts in the Marathawada region of Maharashtra state of India. Parbhani city is the headquarters of this district. Parbhani district is well known for the Marathwada rebellion and religious tour ...

* Katraj Tirth * Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple, Walkeshwar * Antarikṣa Pārśvanātha Śvetāmbara Tīrtha * Shree Vimalnath Bhagwan Tirth, Sakri * Shirpurji teerth, Dhule district,

Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...

* 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 (), officially renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023, 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 ...

* Paithan Jain Tirth * Trimurti Digambar Jain Mandir in

Sanjay Gandhi National Park Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a national park 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 basaltic cliffs, lie within the ...

Borivali Borivali (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, oːɾiʋəliː is a suburb which is located in the north-western end of Mumbai, India. Traditionally the tribals and East Indians lived in Borivali. The attractions include Sanjay Gandhi National ...

* Shree Mahavir Jain Temple in

Pimpri-Chinchwad Pimpri-Chinchwad, also known as PCMC, is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city is about northwest of the historic city of Pune, at an altitude of above sea level. It is the fifth largest city in Maharashtra and the List of most ...

near Pune * Shri Digamber Jain Siddha Kshetra Kunthalgiri, Dist. Osmanabad, Maharashtra Shri Kalikund Parshwanatha Digambar Jain Kshetra, Kundal Sangli.

Gallery

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

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 ...

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

File:0101821 Shantinath Jain Mandir, Ramtek, Maharashtra 079.jpg, Shantinath temple,

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 Shri Kalikund Parshwanatha Digambar Jain Kshetra

Notable Marathi Jains

* V. Shantaram *

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 con ...

* Ajit Gulabchand * Akshar Kothari *

Mahesh Kothare Mahesh Ambar Kothare (Marathi pronunciation: əɦeːʃ koʈʰaːɾe born 28 September 1953) is an Indian film actor, director and producer of Marathi and Hindi films. He is regarded as a revolutionary figure in the Marathi film industry, know ...

* Adinath Kothare *

Sandhya Shantaram Sandhya Shantaram (née Vijaya Deshmukh; born 13 September 1936) known mononyomusly as Sandhya is an Indian actress. She is best known for her appearances in various Hindi film, Hindi and Marathi language, Marathi films directed by her husband ...

* Kiran Shantaram * Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil *

Bal Patil Bal Patil (Marathi: बाळ पाटील; 1932–2011) was a Jain scholar, journalist, social activist and Jain minority status advocate from Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was appointed as a member of State Minority Commission by the Govt. of ...

* Suresh Jain *

Vaibhav Mangle Vaibhav Mangle (born 1975) 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 seen playing BL Pathak in ...

* Raju Shetti * Vidyadhar Johrapurkar * Nirmalkumar Phadkule * Vilas Adinath Sangave * Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale * 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 * Dhananjay Gunde *Annasaheb Latthe

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