Pawagarh Hill Group of Jain Temples , Gujarat

Address

Pawagarh Hill Group of Jain Temples Pawagarh Hill, Vishwamitri River Point Trail, Manchi Haveli, Gujarat 389360

Diety

Suparshwanath, Chandraprabha and Parshwanath.

Introduction

The Jain temples on Pavagadh Hill date to around the 13th–14th century. The temples belong to the Digamber sect of Jainism which was prominent in Gujarat. The temples are dedicated to Suparshwanath, Chandraprabha and Parshwanath.

Puranic Significance

These Jain temples are believed to have been discovered and revered by Tolemi, the Greek geographer in 140 AD. Surfaced during the time of the 20th Tirthankara, these temples have been through constant destruction and renovation between the 800 AD and the late 1930s two prominent temples comprise the elaborate umbrella of the Pavagadh Tirth. Dedicated to Shri Parshvanath Bhagwan and Shri Chintamani Parshvanath Bhagwan, these temples are located on the hilltop and foothill of Pavagadh respectively. These white embellished shrines citing respective deities in a seated lotus position also house a designated space for food and stay called the Bhojanshala and Dharamshala respectively. Although in ruins, these temples have fairly evident architectural elements including rock carvings on their walls alongside porches and a dome-like structure called the Shikara.