Raja Harsukh Rai (early 19th century) the chief of the
Agrawal community, and a builder of several Jain temples in and around Delhi, was the imperial treasurer during Sam. 1852-Sam. 1880.
When
Shahjahan constructed his now capital city at Delhi in the 17th century, he invited several Jain financiers to come and settle there. They included
Sah Dipchand of
Hissar, an Agrawal Jain, who constructed 16 havelis for his 16 sons in
Dariba Kalan, south of
Chandni Chowk. According to other accounts he was invited by
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
and had five sons.
Harsukh Rai, one of his descendants, was chosen to be the official treasurer by Emperor
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
, and was given the title
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
. Harsukh Rai constructed a large and ornate Jain temple in the Dharampura locality of Old Delhi in 1807 during the rule of Mughal Emperor
Akbar II with a cost of about 8 Lakh rupees, then an enormous amount. He was able to obtain the royal permission to construct a shikhara for the temple for the first time during the Mughal rule. Thus temple is known as the
Naya Mandir
Naya Mandir (, lit. New Temple) is a historic Jain temple in Old Delhi in India, in the ''Dharampura'' locality allocated to the Jain community by Aurangzeb.
History
Raja Harsukh Rai, a treasurer in the Mughal Empire during the late Mughal e ...
(new temple), since an older Jain temple, now known as the
Lal Mandir already existed.
When the temple construction was almost finished, Harsukh Rai stopped the construction. When the representatives of the Agrawal Jain community approached him and asked about it, he claimed that he has run out of money and needed donations from the community to finish the construction. After accepting modest donations, Harsukh Rai declared the temple to be
panchayati (i.e. belonging to the community, rather than himself) and finished the construction.
During the festivities of temple consecration (
Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha), the festive pandal was raided by a local group and the gold and silver objects (chhatra, chamar, utensils) were plundered. Harsukh Rai complained to the Emperor, who ordered that they be returned.
In Samvat 1867, he wanted to obtain the imperial permission for a rath-yatra (religious procession) that was traditionally prohibited. He had the
Sunehri Masjid regilded. As a reward, he asked the emperor permission to have the rath-yatra.
He and his son Raja Suganchand built numerous Jain temples at
*Patparganj
*Hastinapur
*Karnal
*Sonpat
*Hissar
*Panipat and
*Sanganer
The Delhi Rath Yatra
During most of the Mughal period, the Jains were prohibited from taking out a religious procession. In 1810, Harsukh Rai was able to obtain the permission of the emperor to have a Jain religious procession. The Rath Yatra caused considerable resentment among the non-Jains and resulted in some disturbances.
In 1877, after the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
, the Jains (called
Sarawagi in the records) again sought permission to take out a permission to take out a procession with "50 musicians, one elephant carrying a banner, seven camels bearing flags, fifty
palanquin
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
s, three chariots ..". This was again opposed by other religious groups which warned about "riots, looting, murder" etc. Eventually the Jains were able to take out the procession, but only through side-streets.
Prachin Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat
Seth Girdhari Lal, the son of Raja Shugan Chand, founded the organization Hissar Panipat Agarwal Jain Panchayat. It is now known as Prachin (i.e. old) Shri Agarwal Digambar Jain Panchayat. It is the oldest Agrawal Jain organization. It has been led by descendants of same family. The organization manages the historical
Naya Mandir
Naya Mandir (, lit. New Temple) is a historic Jain temple in Old Delhi in India, in the ''Dharampura'' locality allocated to the Jain community by Aurangzeb.
History
Raja Harsukh Rai, a treasurer in the Mughal Empire during the late Mughal e ...
as well as the
Lal Mandir.
The Panchayat has been active in promoting unity among Jains of different sectarian backgrounds.
See also
*
Agrawal Jain
*
Lal Mandir
*
Naya Mandir
Naya Mandir (, lit. New Temple) is a historic Jain temple in Old Delhi in India, in the ''Dharampura'' locality allocated to the Jain community by Aurangzeb.
History
Raja Harsukh Rai, a treasurer in the Mughal Empire during the late Mughal e ...
, also built by Raja Harsukh Rai
References
External links
*
Shri Digambar Jain Teerth Kshetra HastinapurExploring Shahjahanabad: A walk in Old Delhi
* Mansions to Margins: Modernity and the Domestic Landscapes of Historic Delhi, 1847-1910, Jyoti Hosagrahar, The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2001), pp. 26-45
{{coord missing, Delhi
Tourist attractions in Delhi
19th-century Indian Jains