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History of jirawala temple
Here is a simple and authentic Jain‑Dharm based summary of the history of Jirawala (Jiravala) Parshvanath Jain Tirth:
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1. Location and Importance
- Jirawala Tirth is in Jirawala village, Sirohi district, Rajasthan.
- It is a very important Śvetāmbara Jain pilgrimage place, famous for Bhagwan Jirawala Parshvanath.
- The idol of Jirawala Parshvanath is counted among the very special / “prasiddh” idols of Parshvanath in Jain tradition.
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2. Antiquity (How old is it?)
- According to Jain belief, the tirth is very ancient, with its origin going back many centuries.
- The present main temple structure is of the medieval period (around the 11th–12th century), but the faith and worship of Jirawala Parshvanath is considered much older.
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3. Story of Discovery of the Idol
A well‑known Jain kathā about Jirawala Parshvanath:
- In ancient times, a Brahmin boy named Kadwa had a cow.
- Every day, that cow would go near a cave / specific spot and release all her milk there by herself.
- People were surprised – why is the cow pouring milk at that place every day?
- At that time, a Jain śrāvaka Sheth Dhanna Shah / Amra Shah (Amrasa) had a divine dream:
- In his dream he saw that an idol of Bhagwan Parshvanath was hidden exactly at that spot where the cow pours milk.
- When the place was dug as per the dream, a beautiful idol of Parshvanath Bhagwan was actually found there.
- This idol was then installed as “Mūlanāyak” (principal deity) in the Jirawala temple by a Jain Āchārya (tradition commonly mentions Āchārya Devasuri / Devaguptasuriji).
Because of this divine incident and the miracle of the cow offering milk, Jirawala Parshvanath became very famous among Jain devotees.
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4. Construction and Renovations
- Old Jain references say that under the inspiration of Bhagwan Parshvanath, a Jain merchant Sheth Amrasa (Amarasha) of Kodinagar built a temple here in ancient times (often dated around Vikram Samvat 326–331 in traditional accounts).
- Over time, the temple was renovated many times by different Jain śrāvaks and ācāryas.
- In recent times also, a major renovation and pratishtha has taken place, restoring the temple beautifully while keeping the original Jain shilpa (art) style.
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5. Special Features of the Temple
- The main temple has a large domed (gumboz) structure with many smaller shrines around.
- There are 52 or more sub‑shrines / devakulikas in the complex, giving a feeling of a big Jain mandir‑city.
- A very special feature is that there are 108 different idols of Parshvanath Bhagwan, each with a different name and form.
- In the central garbhagriha, the Mūlanāyak is Shri Jirawala Parshvanath Bhagwan, who is worshipped with great devotion and is considered very chamatkārī (miraculous).
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6. Religious & Scriptural Importance
- Many old Jain chaityaparipāṭīs (pilgrim lists) mention Jirawala Parshvanath, showing that it was a major tirth for centuries.
- Some Jain traditions say that a gaccha (Jirapalli / Jiravala gaccha) got its name from this very tirth, showing its importance in Śvetāmbara sangh history.
- On many auspicious occasions, some devotees begin their smaraṇ by reciting:
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7. Fairs and Festivals
- Regular fairs (melās) are held here on important tithis such as:
- On these days many Jains come for darshan, pūjā, snātra, kalash, and padyātrā, and do prayers for spiritual progress (dharma, samyam, samyak darshan).
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8. Sect / Tradition Note
- Jirawala Tirth is primarily a Śvetāmbara Jain tirth.
- Digambar and Śvetāmbara both accept Bhagwan Parshvanath as the same 23rd Tirthankara, but the temple here, its rituals, murtis, and gaccha‑traditions are Śvetāmbara based.
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This is the simple, traditional Jain understanding of the history and mahima of Jirawala Parshvanath Tirth as preserved in Jain kathās, tirth‑māhātmyas and community tradition.
