Sri Jirawala Parshwanath Jain Tirth - Rajasthan

Address

Sri Jirawala Parshwanath Jain Tirth Saran Ka Khera, Sirohi District, Rajasthan 307514

Diety

Parshwanath

Introduction

Jirawala Tirth is a Jain temple in Jirawala village of Sirohi District in Rajasthan, India. It lies 58 km from Abu Road. This is a newly built temple complex that houses an ancient idol of Lord Jirawala Parshwanath, the 23rd Jain Tirthankar that is made from sand and milk. This idol is renowned for being an intrinsic part of the 108 rare idols of Lord Parshwanath that are worshipped all over India.

Puranic Significance

Jirawala has been an important Jain centre between 506 CE to 1324 CE. The iconic idol of Parshvanath, the principal deity of the temple, was found during an excavation. The cow belonging to Brahmin boy Kadwa used to pour out its milk every day near a cave in Jirawala. Upon hearing about this by Brahmin boy, Jain Seth Dhanna Shah dreamt of a Parshvanath idol where cow went to pour milk. After the search, the idol was found from the same spot and the idol was installed by Acharya Deva Gupta Suri in 894 CE. According to belief, the idol is made up of sand and milk. An idol of Neminatha was temporarily replaced as mulnayak of the temple. Other Legends, When Lord Shree Parshwanth Prabhu was roaming on this earth, on the foot of Mt. Abu ther’s a city named ratnapur. Shri Chandryayasha was the king of ratnapur. Once Shree Shubhswami first gandhar of shree Parshwanath bhagwan came to Ratnapur. He preache the king Chandrayash about Jaininsm and king becomes true disciple of Jainism. But the king Chandrayash was not happy as he has listened about Lord Parshwanath’s Grace but unable to meet the Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan. He has made an Idol of Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan by Valu (Sand) and Milk and built a magnificient Jain temple of 23rd Tirthankar Shree Parshwanath Bhagwan. First gandhar shree Shubhswamy did the pratistha of the present Idol of Shree Jirawala Parshwanth Bhagwan.

Special Features

The current structure of the temple dates back to 1134 AD. There is a temple with an image of Neminatha, too. These temples were attacked and desecrated during Muslim rule but were later renovated by the Jain community. The village was a place of pilgrimage for Jains. Many Jain saints and scholars visited the place and composed the religious books there during the fifteenth century. In Shvetambara tradition, idols tend to derive their name from a geographical region; the Jirawala Parshvanath is one of 108 prominent idols of Parshvanath idols. The temple complex includes Dharamshala and bhojanalya.