Bade Baba Jain Tirth - Bh. Mahavir
Damoh, Madhya Pradesh
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Kundalpur is approximately twenty miles northeast of Damoh, Madhya Pradesh. With about sixty temples built m the eight and ninth century, Kundalpur is one of the most ancient and extensive Jain pilgrimage site in central India. Kundalpur is a Siddha Kshetra, which means, "Gateway to the State of Enlightenment." Two thousand steps lead to the foot of one of the peaks where several monuments of immense historical and religious significance stand amidst the breathtaking majesty of Mother Nature. Historically speaking, the development of Jainism in Kundalpur took place under the reign of the Kalchuri kings from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries. After the downfall of the Kalchuri dynasty, Jain temples, which were famous for their embellished architecture, were destroyed and abandoned. According to historical inscriptions, Bade Baba Temple was renovated in 1548, under the leadership of Bhattraka Mahendrakirti, restoring the lost fame of Kundalpur.
Kundalpur is a place full of overwhelming natural beauty and is famous for its miraculous fifteen feet high statue of Bade Baba m Padmasana (seated posture). Kundalpur is a hilly area, semicircular m shape, and consists of sixty three temples m all, out of which forty are situated on the hill and the remaining 23 temples are scattered throughout the valley and around the beautiful lake, Vardhaman Sagar. The temples 48 to 60 are large temples with majestic and beautiful spires. The twenty second temple on Kundalpur hill is known as Bade Baba Temple. This temple is laid out in the typical format m which the courtyard of the temple is on a raised platform, however the floor of the Garbha Griha (Inner Sanctum) is approximately at the same level as the ground level of the compound, makirig it necessary for devotees to climb a few steps to go up to the platform and then descend to the Garbha Griha.
Withiri this temple, the idol of Bade Baba is carved out of red sandstone and considered to be one of the rare statues of its kirid iII' the world. On either side of Bade Baba are statues of Bhagwan Parshwanath, standing twelve feet in height. A peculiar feature of the idol of Bade Baba is that it does not exhibit a chin (identification mark) that would identify him as a specific Tirthankara. Until quite recently, the idol of Bade Baba was considered to be Lord Mahavira. Extensive research identified the two celestial beings that flank the mam statue as Gomukha Yaksha and Chakreshwary Devi, both of whom are associated with Lord Adinath, not Lord Mahavira. It was some time after this discovery was made public that the Jam. community accepted the idol of Bade Baba as the first Tirthankara, Lord Admath.
The other temple of beauty is the 49th, called Jal Mandir, an attractive temple situated in the middle of the beautiful lake, Vardhaman Sagar. The shimmering reflections of the temple spires against the cool water of the lake is a venerable feast for the worshippers.
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The nearest railway station to Kundalpur, Damoh, is approximately twenty miles away and Hatta, the nearest village, is about ten miles away.
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Information Source: Jaina Calendar - 2004, Published by Jaina, USA
Mr. C. K. Jain, Administative Officer, Kundalpur Tirth, Off Ph : 07605-272230, Resi : 272515
Mr. Sachin Jain, Ph : 022-25861962, Cell : 9820939729, E-Mail : jain_sacin@yahoo.com
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Mail to : Ahimsa Foundation
www.jainsamaj.org
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