Original sahastrafana parshwanath
“Sahastrafana Parshwanath” means the idol of Bhagwan Parshwanath with one thousand serpent hoods (sahastra = thousand, fana = hoods).
In Jain tradition:
- This is the same 23rd Tirthankar, Bhagwan Parshwanath, shown with a very special nag-śeṣ (serpent canopy).
- Instead of the more common 7 or 9 hoods, here the śeṣ-nāg spreads into 1000 tiny hoods forming a grand umbrella over Bhagwan.
- The idol is usually:
Spiritually, Sahastrafana form reminds us of:
- Supreme protection of a Tirthankar’s tapas (like when Dharanendra protected Parshwanath in the storm)
- Anant (innumerable) souls taking refuge in his teachings, symbolised through countless hoods
- Deep kṣamā, karuṇā and ahiṁsā embodied by Parshwanath Bhagwan
Famous Sahastrafana Parshwanath idols include:
- Surat (Gopipura) – Sahastrafana Parshwanath Jain Mandir – very well‑known for its beautifully carved khaḍgāsan idol with thousand hoods and detailed parikar. You can read its traditional story and details here
- Lodrava (near Jaisalmer) – black idol in Padmāsan with sahastrafana canopy, also very famous in Śvetāmbara tradition. More about Lodrava Parshwanath here
If by “original” you meant the story/itihās behind Sahastrafana Parshwanath of a particular tirth (like Surat or Lodrava), you can follow the above links for the full traditional narrative.