Vasupujya Jain Tirth - Asansol 

History of Asansol : Asansol is the 2nd largest and popular place in West Bengal after the famous city of Kolkata. Asansol is among the 11 Indian cities and placed at the rank of 42 in the list of 100 fastest growing cities of the world. Being an industrial and commercial center of West Bengal, the city possesses a rich chronological backdrop.

The Origin Inhabitants of Asansol : In the beginning, as per the records, people of Dravidian and Austroloid descent inhabited the region of Asansol. But from around two thousand five hundred years ago, Asansol has been considered as an area of momentous Jainism activities.

According to a number of intellectuals, Mahavira Vardhamana - the last Tirthankar of Jain religious conviction, used to reside and work in this area. Thus the name Bardhaman (Burdwan District) was generalized for the districts and headquarters of this town. There are many Jain temples to be found in Asansol and its neighbouring regions. There are a number of Jain temples on the Parasnath Hill in adjoining district of Jharkhand. There is also an old and pre-historic Jain place of worship on the bank of the Barakar River, located at Begunia. A horde of sacred places in the nearby Bankura district also put up with strong evidence of major Jain doings in the region.

There is a Jain temple and a Jain Bhawan as well, in Asansol dedicated to Vasupujya – the 12th Tirthankara of Jain religion. This temple is situated in the Mehta Road near. All these bear extensive indications of strong Jainism activities being in existence in the vicinity of Asansol. Several people consider that spread out of Jainism in West Bengal is through the Aryanisation of the region.

Asansol and the Inhabitants Afterwards : In the later years, Asansol was believed to have become a part of the vast Vishnupur Kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by the great Malla dynasty, for about a thousand years until the arrival of the British rule in India. A Vishnupur styled temple is to be found in the Chhotodighari village of Asansol, which provides evidence to its acquaintances with the Vishnupur Kingdom. Even the local vernacular, traditions and customs of this region have closer resemblance with those of Bankura and Vishnupur line rather than the other areas in the neighborhood. Asansol subdivision was an important part of the Muslim kingdoms who ruled anciently in the region.

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Address : Tagore Road, Asansol, West Bengal

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Mail to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
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