Digambar Tirth Gersappa Ke Jain Mandir Vartaman Durdarsha

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Book Title: Digambar Tirth Gersappa ke Jain Mandir Vartaman Durdarsha (Jain Temples of the Digambar Tirth of Gersappa and their Present Plight) Author: Late Agarchand Nahta

This article, authored by the late Agarchand Nahta, discusses the historical significance and current dilapidated state of Jain temples in Gersappa, a Digambar Jain pilgrimage site.

The author begins by highlighting the widespread propagation of Jainism across India, with numerous pilgrimage sites established at locations associated with the lives of the 24 Tirthankaras, as well as the practice and Nirvana of other holy figures. He notes the growth in the number of pilgrimage sites, often due to the presence of ancient and miraculous idols. Both Digambar and Shwetambar sects have hundreds of pilgrimage sites, with some shared and many exclusive to each. The southern part of India, particularly, has a greater concentration of Digambar pilgrimage sites, while Rajasthan and Gujarat are prominent for Shwetambar sites. Nahta observes that while many texts exist on pilgrimage sites, Shwetambar sites have more literature dedicated to them compared to Digambar sites.

The article then touches upon the management of these pilgrimage sites. It mentions the Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi as the largest administrative body for Shwetambar sites, with its main office in Ahmedabad. For Digambar sites, a major committee is based in Mumbai. A new committee formed by followers of the late Kanji Maharaj has also accumulated significant funds. While financial resources are generally available due to societal devotion, the author emphasizes the crucial need for their well-organized utilization. He contrasts the extensive restoration work undertaken by the Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi for Shwetambar sites with what he perceives as a lesser effort by the Digambar society's committee.

The core of the article focuses on Gersappa, a Digambar pilgrimage site whose temples are now in a state of disrepair due to a lack of local Jain population. Nahta cites references to Gersappa in works like "Sarvatiirth Vandana" by Gyanasagar and "Sarvatrailokya Jinatmak Jayamala" by Vishwabhushan, as compiled by Dr. Vidyadhar Johrapurkar. Vishwabhushan mentions a Parshvanath idol in Gersappa, while Gyanasagar provides more details, including the rule of Rani Bhairav Devi, a three-story temple dedicated to Parshvanath, and a four-story, four-faced temple supported by two hundred pillars. The city is known by various names like Girsappa, Gersappa, and Gerusoppe. Dr. Johrapurkar places the city on the western coast of the Mysore region but provides no further details, suggesting he may not have personally visited it.

The author then introduces an article by Shri Madhusudan Dhanki, a renowned Shwetambar scholar of archaeology and art, published in the journal 'Swadhyay'. Dhanki's article was prompted by seeing a published floor plan of the Chaturmukh Jinanalaya (four-faced temple) of Gersappa about thirty years prior. Four years before writing, Dhanki had the opportunity to visit this Digambar pilgrimage site in Karnataka.

Shri Dhanki, currently based in Banaras as the Director of the American Institute of Indian Studies, has access to travel and photography facilities. He published eight beautiful photographs related to the Gersappa temples along with his article, three of which depict Jain idols and the rest the temples themselves. Despite the challenging journey, Dhanki bravely ventured into the jungle to discover these Digambar Jain temples.

The temples are situated in an isolated location, some distance from the village, within the jungle. Dhanki had to undertake a boat journey to reach them. After considerable difficulties, he arrived and returned with detailed information and photographs. The site is located about twenty miles from the world-famous Jog Falls, accessible via a winding path and a river crossing. Dhanki was captivated by the natural beauty of the area, surrounded by greenery and vegetation. He found the temple in a state of ruin, with dilapidated walls. Inside the sanctum, he discovered a beautiful idol of Parshvanath carved from black stone. He also explored other nearby Jain temples, photographing the ruins and idols.

These temples are attributed to the flourishing period of the Vijayanagar Empire. One of them is a Chaturmukh Jinanalaya. The temples reminded Dhanki of temples in Cambodia. The main idol in this temple is a large Jain image in the Padmasana (seated posture) found in all four directions. The idol in the first temple is believed by Dhanki to be of Lord Neminath. A picture of the Jin-murti on the west side of the Chaturmukh Jinanalaya's sanctum is featured on the cover of the 'Swadhyay' magazine. The article also highlights a magnificent image of Chandrograha Parshvanath of Hiriyavasi (settlement) on the back cover. This idol, standing in the Kayotsarga (standing meditation) posture, is adorned with a coiled serpent at its base and seven hoods above, making it a captivating sight.

Nahta laments that numerous such beautiful idols across India lie neglected, damaged, and un-worshipped, attracting little attention while new idols are created that lack the artistic merit of the ancient ones. He suggests that if new idols are to be made, they should be based on ancient idols to inspire devotion. He mentions a separate article he wrote about a similar, Gupta-period Parshvanath idol currently housed in the Kanodia Ji museum in Patna, noting the Jain community's lack of awareness about such rare sculptures.

While the Gersappa Parshvanath idol is not as ancient, estimated by Dhanki to be from the 14th-15th century, Gyanasagar and Vishwabhushan identified Gersappa as a "Parshvanath Tirth" because of it. Inscriptions found at Gersappa date back to the 12th century. During the 14th-15th centuries, a feudatory of the Vijayanagar king ruled the region. Surrounded by dense forests, treacherous mountains to the east and south, and the Meghavati, Sadaneera, and Iravati rivers to the north, the pilgrimage site is truly worth visiting.

Due to excessive annual rainfall, the local inhabitants moved to nearby areas, and the temples became overgrown with jungle. A Portuguese traveler passing through in 1625 noted that the royal palaces were already in ruins. When the temples were built in the 14th-15th centuries, Gersappa was home to wealthy Jains, and Jainism enjoyed royal patronage, which enabled the construction of such magnificent temples. Digambar monks also visited for darshan, leading to the mention of Gersappa's Parshvanath Tirth in pilgrimage lists. Bhattaraka Gyanasagar of Gujarat visited in the 16th century when the city was still in good condition, and Bhairavidevi was ruling. He described the Parshvanath temple as a "Tribhumiya Prasada" (three-story palace), and an inscription from 1421 attests to donations made to this temple. A 15th-century inscription related to the Mahamahveshwar temple of Gokarna mentions the Chandrograha Parshvanath of Hirivasti here. According to Dhanki, donations were also made to the Shantinath settlement. Gyanasagar mentioned the Chaturmukh Jinanalaya as being four stories high with 200 pillars, though many of these pillars are now destroyed. Between 1378 and 1362, Ramakke, wife of Ramanna, son of Dandanayak Somanna, built a temple called the "Basti of Tirthankar Anantnath," and the idol of Neminath was created by Ajay Shresthi.

The author concludes with a plea, urging the Jain community to take a keen interest in the development and preservation of their neglected pilgrimage sites, citing the Archaeological Survey of India's decades-long efforts to present important historical material concerning Gersappa. The lack of societal interest and a central organization has led many significant cultural centers of the Digambar Jain community to be forgotten. The Western India Archaeological Survey, as early as 1892-93, provided crucial information about the artistic splendor and archaeological importance of these temples. A report specifically mentioned the Chaturmukh statue (with idols of four Tirthankaras in four directions) in the Chaturmukh Basti's Jinanalaya, as well as the artistic significance of the Vardhaman Jinanalaya, the idols within, the Parshvanath idols in the Chaturmukh Basti, and the artistic stones and grandeur of the Parshvanath Basti and Vardhaman Swami temple. The article encourages the Jain community to utilize such valuable reports to actively engage in the development and preservation of their overlooked pilgrimage sites.