Answer

Yes. According to Jain tradition, the 24 Tirthankaras of the present Avasarpiṇī kāl were born in Bharat Kshetra.

They appeared during the 3rd and 4th ārās of the descending time-cycle:

• Ṛṣabhdev Bhagwan, the 1st Tirthankara, appeared near the end of the 3rd ārā.
• The remaining Tirthankaras appeared during the 4th ārā.
• Mahavir Swami Bhagwan, the 24th Tirthankara, attained nirvāṇa near the end of the 4th ārā.

When?

In Jain cosmology, time moves through repeated cycles called:

• Utsarpiṇī — ascending half-cycle
• Avasarpiṇī — descending half-cycle

Each half-cycle has six ārās. The 24 Tirthankaras of our current cycle appear in Bharat Kshetra during Avasarpiṇī.

The traditional sequence is:

• 1st Tirthankara: Ṛṣabhdev Bhagwan
• 24th Tirthankara: Mahavir Swami Bhagwan

Mahavir Swami Bhagwan’s nirvāṇa marks the closing period of the 4th ārā. After that, the 5th ārā began, which is the present era.

For How Long?

The lifespans of the 24 Tirthankaras were not the same. Jain tradition describes very long lifespans for earlier Tirthankaras and much shorter lifespans for later ones.

Examples:

• Ṛṣabhdev Bhagwan: extremely long lifespan, measured in pūrvas.
• Neminath Bhagwan: 1,000 years.
• Pārshvanath Bhagwan: 100 years.
• Mahavir Swami Bhagwan: 72 years.

So, they did not all live for the same duration. Their lifespans gradually decreased as the time-cycle descended.

Spiritual Understanding

A Tirthankara does not come merely as a great teacher. A Tirthankara establishes the fourfold Jain Sangh:

• Sādhus
• Sādhvīs
• Śrāvaks
• Śrāvikās

They show the path of liberation through:

• Samyak Darshan — right faith
• Samyak Jnan — right knowledge
• Samyak Charitra — right conduct

Takeaway

All 24 Tirthankaras of the present cycle appeared in Bharat Kshetra. They came during the 3rd and 4th ārās of the current Avasarpiṇī, and their lifespans varied greatly according to the declining nature of the time-cycle.