The Songadh Jain temple is a historical temple complex in the town of

Songadh Songadh is a taluka in Tapi district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Geography Fort Songadh is located at . It has an average elevation of 112 metres (367 feet). The town is located at the foot of a solitary hill, the surroundi ...

, in

Bhavnagar district Bhavnagar District is a district of southeastern Gujarat, India, on the Saurashtra peninsula. It is also known as Gohilwar as a major portion of Bhavnagar district was ruled by Gohil Rajputs. The administrative headquarters is in the town of B ...

the Saurashtra region in

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 nin ...

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 ...

. It is 8 km from Sihor town and 28 km from

Bhavnagar Bhavnagar is a city in the Bhavnagar district of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, a state of India. It was founded in 1723 by Bhavsinhji Takhtasinhji Gohil (1703–1764). It was the capital of Bhavnagar State, which was a princely state befo ...

town.

Importance

Kanji Swami, a mystical teacher of

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 being ...

, was born into

Śvētāmbara The Śvētāmbara (; ''śvētapaṭa''; also spelled ''Shwethambara'', ''Svetambar'', ''Shvetambara'' or ''Swetambar'') is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the ''Digambara''. Śvētāmbara means "white-clad", and refers ...

Sthānakavāsī ''Sthānakavāsī'' is a sect of Śvētāmbara Jainism. It believes that idol worship is not essential in the path of soul purification and attainment of Nirvana/Moksha. Sthānakavāsī accept thirty-two of the Jain Agamas, the Svetambara ...

and converted to a celibate

Digambara ''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 n ...

lay scholar under influence of

Kundakunda Kundakunda was a Digambara Jain monk and philosopher, who likely lived in the 2nd CE century CE or later. His date of birth is māgha māsa, śukla pakṣa, pañcamī tithi, on the day of Vasant Panchami. He authored many Jain texts such as ...

Pandit Todarmal Pandit Todarmal (1719–1766) was an eminent Indian Jain scholar and writer.History of the Jaipur City By Ashim Kumar Roy He led the creation of ''terapanthi'' community among the ''Digambara'' Jains by rejecting the authority of ''bhattaraka ...

, at Songadh in 1934. Sonagadh became birth place for Kanji Panth. Kanji Swami, spent about forty years at Songadh so the village became one of the most important pilgrimage for Kanji Panth. Songadh along with

Palitana Pālītāṇā is a city in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India. It is located 50 km southwest of Bhavnagar city and is a major pilgrimage centre ("shashwat tirth") for Jains. It is first of the two vegetarian cities in the world. Histo ...

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. Geology Mount Girnar is a major igneous plutonic complex which intruded into the basalts towards the close of the Deccan Trap period. The rock types identified in this complex are g ...

, Naliya,

Kathara Kathāra is a village panchayat located in the Darbhanga district, Bihar state Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar bo ...

, Idar, Tarangaji, and Ahmedabad are planned to be promoted as Gujarat Jain circuit by Gujarat tourism department.

Overview

The temple complex consist of eight temples. ''Svadhyaya Mandir'' or study temple, is the first temple in the temple complex built in 1937. The temple is a white marble structure with teachings of Kundakund engraved on the walls and embossed on golden leaf. ''Jinendra Dharmasabha'' houses a

samavasarana In Jainism, Samavasarana or Samosharana ("Refuge to All") is the divine preaching hall of the Tirthankara, stated to have more than 20,000 stairs in it. The word ''samavasarana'' is derived from two words, ''sama'', meaning general and ''avasar ...

, the divine preaching hall of the

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English language, English: literally a 'Ford (crossing), ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the ...

s, of

Simandhara Simandhar is a '' Tīrthaṅkara'', an arihant, who is said to be currently living in another world in the Jain cosmological universe. Residence in Jain cosmology ''Tirthankara'' Simandhar Swami resides at ''Mahavideh Kshetra'', another la ...

based on the description by Mahavideha. The temple has murals with depiction of the knowledge of true doctrine cascading like water steam from Simandhara to Kundakunda and Kundakunda to Kanji Swami. In 2010, a 41.5 feet idol of Lord

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 ...

was also installed here. ;Other temples # Paramagam Mandir, literally meaning Temple of Sacred Texts. Walls of this temple are carved with the Digambar Jain sacred texts of

Samayasāra ''Samayasāra'' (''The Nature of the Self'') is a famous Jain text composed by '' Acharya Kundakunda'' in 439 verses. Its ten chapters discuss the nature of '' Jīva'' (pure self/soul), its attachment to Karma and Moksha (liberation). ''Sa ...

# Jin Mandir # Nandishwar Deep Mandir #

Manastambha A manastambha (Sanskrit for 'column of honour') is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples or large Jain statues. In North India, they are topped by four Tirthankara images. According to the ''Digambara'' Jain texts like '' A ...

# Kanji Swami Samadhi Mandir # Champa Ben Samadhi Mandir

Gallery

File:Nandeeshwardeep004.jpg, Nandishwar Deep Mandir front view File:Nandeeshwardeep003.jpg, Manasthambha File:Nandeeshwardeep005.jpg, Jinendra Dharmasabha File:Nandeeshwardeep007.jpg, Main vedi of Nandishwar Deep Mandir

Importance

Overview

Gallery

See also

References

Citation

Sources

External links