Shri Kolhua Pahad Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra

Address : Shri Kolhua Pahad Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra Village-Dantaar, Chatra, Jharkand

About Kolua Pahad Jharkhand and Bihar states of India are the centers of famous Jain Tirths as Sammedshikharji, Raj-Grihiji, Gunavaji, Champapuriji, Pavapuriji and many more, but there are so many historic places waiting society’s attention. Kolhua Pahad (hill) is one of them.

According to Jain Ethics, 10th Tirthankar Bhagvan Sheetalnath took birth in Bhadrikapuri or Bhaddalpur. He accepted monk hood in the nearby forest of Bhaddalpur named Sahetuk Van. Up to three years he practiced penance and meditation, he often engrossed in him-self to experience the eternal joy and happiness, thus to conquer the evils of worldly affection and aversion, to break the mesh of birth and death. At last, on the day-Paush Krishna Chaturdashi, he attained Godhood-again in Sahetuk-Van. This Sahetuk-Van is now Kolhua Pahad. This area including Bhaddalpur has witnessed Bhagvan Sheetalnath’s four Kalyanakas Garbh-Janma-Tapa-Gyan Kalyanak.

Today’s Bhondalgaon in Chatra district of Jharkhand is Bhadrikapuri or Bhaddalpur. There are three other places also present named Bhadeja, Bhaddia and Bhadiyagaon, but these villages have no symptoms of Jainism. But Bhondalgaon and it’s surrounding area has huge material related to Jainism-so many ruins of idols, temples and other symbols. Therefore, so many scholars of history as Sir Willium Hunter, Dr. Stane after deep study and research found and declared Kolhua Pahad- a Jain Tirth and Bhondalgaon the birth place of Bhagvan Sheetalnath.

Description : After reaching on the top of hill, we see a rampart constructed by rectangular rocks at a far distance. At the right side of north gate a Hindu Temple is present called Koleshwari Devi’s. It is supposed that this idol is related to Goddess Jwalamaliny-Yakshiny of Bhagvan Sheetalnath. In front of this temple , a beautiful pond is present which is about 300 ft in length,180 ft in breadth and 30 ft in depth, this pond always lives full with pure, fresh and clear water. It is supposed that there are many idols-broken or complete in this pond, which were dropped in for the purpose of safety at the time-unfavorable to Jains. In the west of this pond, there is a cave under a Varun (a herb) tree, in this cave a three ft high idol of Bhagvan Parshvnath in sitting posture facing west is present with nine serpent hoods over head, carved in black stone, this is really a magnificent and attractive idol and miraculous too. There is no petrography carved on this idol, so this seems to be of 4th era. Below this cave there are two caves facing each other, pieces of broken Jain idols are lying there. Seeing all this, one can imagine that in ancient time there lived a huge quantity of Jains but due to invaders they give up this area, their places of worship and idols were left here and got destroyed. In the south east from this cave, at about 300 ft height, there was an ancient Jain Temple established in V. S. 1682, a Bhagvan Parshvnath’s lotus based idol-two ft in height and in sitting posture was installed here. That ancient temple has been destroyed but ruins are still spread there. A platform and a path surrounding temple to take sacred rounds were also there. At the place of ancient temple, a new temple has been established and Bhagvan Parshvnath’s idol based on a lotus has been installed here. At a distance of about 250 ft in the north east of temple there exists a beautiful large circular rock with eight holes on it’s circumference and one in centre. This may be the place of pavilion used for pooja and havan. There are platforms constructed to sit around this rock In the north of this rock, a high hill is present called Akash-lochan. Rising towards this hill ruins of a temple are found in path and on the top there are ancient foot-prints present -8 inch in length and 3 inch wide, this shows that this may be the place of someone’s salvation- place of attaining full and final freedom from world. There are many caves available under the top of hill inviting pilgrims for meditation providing very peaceful environment.

There is a cave temple at the right hand when we come down from the top, there exist ten Digamber Jain idols in sitting posture carved on a side wall, all are safe and one ft in height. These idols are very artful, symbols of Tirthankaras are clearly visible on the base of these idols. So, on the basis of symbols these idols are named-Bhagvan Rishabh dev, Mahaveer Swami, Ajit Nathji, Sambhav Nathji, Abhinandanji, Sumati Nathji, Padm-Prabhuji, Suparshv Nathji, Chandra Prabhuji and Pushp-Dantji. On another side wall also ten Digamber Jain idols are carved, five in standing and five in sitting posture, these are also very artistic and eye catching. Standing idols are 18 inch in height and related to five celibate Tirthankars named-Bhagvan Vasupoojyaji, Mallinathji, Neminathji, Parshv-Nathji and Mahaveerji. Sitting idols are related to Bhagvan Sheetal-Nathji, Shreyans Nathji, Vasupoojyaji, Vimal-Nathji and Anant-Nathji, these are 12 inch in height. On the upper part of these idols some inscriptions are found in old language but unclear.

A path from this cave goes direct to Koleshvari Devi’s temple, at some distance down-we found a big cave temple and in front of this temple-a Panduk Shila is constructed on a circular rock in ancient style, which was used at the time of Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha Mahotsav. There is a throne on the top of Panduk-Shila and drains for the flow of water of consecration of idols, a pit is also there to collect the holy water of consecration. Koleshwary Devi’s temple is small in size and a small spire on it with a sanctum and a mandap. Temple’s architecture is completely as Jain temple and Dr. Stane clear says that this is a Jain Tirth and accept the new idol of Koleshwary there is no symbol of other religion. All the temples, idols and other items are related to Jain’s on this hill. This is assumed that this temple was Bhagvan Chandr-Prabhu’s temple in original.

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