Jain Dharm Aur Sthapatya Ka Sangam Tirth Osiya - Book Summary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Jain Dharm aur Sthapatya ka Sangam Tirth Osiya" by Sohankrushna Purohit:

The book discusses Osian (Osiya), a prominent center of Jainism and architecture located 52 kilometers northwest of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The village is noteworthy for housing ancient temples of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Jainism, earning it the moniker "City of Temples." Historically, Osian was known as Upakeshpattan or Upshisha in inscriptions and literary texts.

The text delves into the origins of Osian, presenting several legends and scholarly opinions.

One legend attributes its founding to Prince Uppaldev (or Shree Punya), son of King Bhimsen of Bhinmal, who established a new kingdom in Osian after a dispute with his brother. His patron deity was Chamunda.
Scholar Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar suggests the name "Osian" derived from "Oshala" (refuge), as a Parmar king from Bhinmal sought asylum there due to enemy pressure.
Dr. K.C. Jain posits that the prince who founded Osian was from the Gurjar-Pratihar dynasty, not Parmar.
The Jain text "Upakeshgachchh Prabandh" (1326 CE) also mentions the establishment of the Osian kingdom by Shree Punya after a conflict with his father.
Inscriptions indicate that the Pratihar king Vatsaraj ruled here until the last decade of the 8th century.
The author's own belief is that the founder was likely a prince from Bhinmal, possibly of the Chavda dynasty, as their history is less clear compared to the Pratihar and Parmar dynasties, and does not mention princes like Shree Punya or Uppaldev. The author suggests the founding could be as early as the 6th century CE.

A significant portion of the text focuses on the origin of the Oswal community, which is closely linked to Osian.

A popular local narrative links the Oswal community's origin to Osian's king Uppaldev or Shree Punya, a devout follower of Chamunda Devi.
When the renowned Jain Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri, along with 500 disciples, arrived in Osian for Chaturmas (a four-month monastic retreat), the lack of suitable accommodation for Jain monks led them to consider leaving. However, inspired by Chamunda Devi, some monks requested Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri to stay, which he agreed to.
A pivotal event occurred when a royal child of Osian was bitten by a black cobra and died. Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri revived the child through his spiritual powers.
Impressed by this miracle, the king and his subjects approached the Acharya with offerings. The Acharya, refusing material gifts, expressed his sole desire for everyone in Osian to embrace Jainism. Consequently, those initiated by Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri and their descendants became known as Oswals.
The Acharya's influence was so profound that the king himself adopted Jainism, and the practice of animal sacrifice to Chamunda Devi was stopped. Subsequently, the presiding deity came to be known as Sachchiyay Mata.

The text then discusses the timing of the Oswal community's origin:

Jain monks place the origin at 70 Veer Nirvan Samvat (457 BCE).
Pandit Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha considers this date speculative, as Osian was not established by then. He suggests the Oswal community originated around the 11th century CE.
Dr. K.C. Jain also notes that mentions of the Oswal community appear only from the 9th century onwards.
The author believes the Oswal community originated in the early 10th century.
The "Nabhinandan-jinoddhar Prabandh" (composed in 1338 CE) states that 18 gotras (lineages) of Oswals resided in Osian, with the Vaisath gotra eventually migrating to Kiradu due to doctrinal differences.

The historical background of Osian's Mahavir Temple is then explored:

Osian is recognized as a Jain pilgrimage site in Jain literature, featuring both Vaishnav and Jain temples, influenced by later Gupta architecture.
The Mahavir Temple is described as an exemplary piece of Jain architecture, well-maintained and appearing like a celestial chariot from afar.
A legend suggests that Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri installed the idol in this temple 70 years after Lord Mahavir's Nirvana. It is believed he propagated Jainism in the region and gave the temple its initial form.
The temple's artistic development suggests centuries of work, with traditions linking its origins to Acharya Ratnaprabha Suri.
An inscription from 956 CE (1013 VS) indicates the temple existed during the reign of Pratihar King Vatsaraj (705-763 CE). Another inscription from 1016 CE (1075 VS) mentions the temple's gateway being built by two individuals.
Inscriptions on the temple's gateway, idols, and pillars (ranging from 978 to 1701 CE) reveal that the gateway was rebuilt multiple times.
Based on the temple's architecture, Dr. K.C. Jain dates its construction to the 8th century. Later, a merchant named Jindak renovated it.
Two inscriptions from 1188 CE record a donation of a building for the Mahavir Temple's chariot by a devout laywoman. This is corroborated by "Nabhinandan-jinoddhar Prabandh," which mentions a golden chariot named "Nardam" used for annual processions, indicating that the Mahavir idol was paraded through the city in ancient times.

The text provides a detailed architectural description of the Mahavir Temple:

The temple faces north and comprises a sanctum (garbhagriha), a protected hall (gudhamandapa) with side walls, and an entrance pavilion (mukhachatuski) accessed by stairs.
A torana (gateway) stands at a distance from the door pavilion, built in 1010 CE, while an earlier covered entrance with steps existed in front of the door pavilion in 656 CE.
Covered corridors are present on either side of the sanctum. Twin devakulikas (small shrines) were later added on both sides of the space between the entrance pavilion and the torana.
The sanctum is a square chamber with incorporated elements of bhadra, pratiratha, and karna. Its structure includes a large wall beneath the base, intricate inter-panels, and kapotas decorated with chaitya toranas. Above the kapotas are decorative bands, followed by a common vedibandh. The kumbhas of the vedibandh are adorned with devakulikas depicting deities like Kubera, Gaja-Lakshmi, and Vayu, reminiscent of Gupta period temples. Above the decorated kapotas of the vedibandh, devakulikas with origins depict Dikpalas. The jangha (wall section) culminates in floral motifs, supporting the varandika.
The sanctum's bhadras are connected to balconies (gavaksha) with high-quality artistic lattice-work, positioned on a rajasevika vedika and asanpatt. These gavakshas are divided by square, beautiful twin pilasters, ornately decorated with lotus flowers, foliage, kirttimukhas, and creepers, topped with tarang toddos. The gavakshas with chhajjas (eaves) display various captivating forms.
The superstructure (shikhar) above the sanctum is not original but a later construction of the 11th-century Maru-Gurjar style, featuring three rows of urah-shrngas and laghu-shrngas with developed karnas.
The gudhamandapa's outline includes bhadra and karna. Decorations up to the varandika from the sanctum are included. Its jangha is adorned with sculptures of Yakshas, Yakshinis, and Vidya Devatas. In the front karna, Saraswati and Parshvayaksha are on the left, and Achchupta and Apratichaka are on the right.
The gudhamandapa's ceiling is a magnificent three-tiered phansana. The first tier starts with a neck and is adorned with dancing figures of Vidyadharas and Gandharvas, followed by chhadya and shatarangi carvings. The corners of the first tier are adorned with grand shrngas. Rathikas project from the bhadras, featuring a figure of Kubera on the west and an unknown Yaksha on the east. The corners of the second tier are adorned with beautiful karnakutas, topped with a bell-shaped kalasha.
The trika mandapa's shikhar is a two-tiered phansana, similar to the gudhamandapa, with three faces of simha karna on all sides. The simha karna facing north has figures of Mahavidyas, Gauri Barotya, and Mansi. The western phansana's northern side depicts Yakshi-Chakreshvari, Mahavidya, Mahakali, and Vakdevi.
The door pavilion's two-tiered phansana ceiling is adorned with bells. Its triangular toranas have deities sculpted on each of their three faces. The eastern side features Mahavidya Kali, Mahamanasi, and Varunayaksha. The western side depicts Mahavidya Rohini, accompanied by deities. The northern side has figures of Yaksha Sarvanubhuti, Adinath, and Ambika.
The interior of the sanctum is simple with three now empty devakulikas. The artistic details of the sanctum's doorway are obscured by recent paintwork and inlay. The four pillars of the hall are originally square and decorated with ghata pallavas (foliage), nagapash, and large kirttimukhas. The ceiling above the hall is in the nabhichhed style, constructed with simple gajatalus.
The gudhamandapa walls have ten devakulikas of considerable depth, two of which contain figures of Kubera and Vayu. The representations of these deities in a progressive sequence within the gudhamandapa represent Rohini, Berotya, Mahamanasi, and Nirvani.
Above the lintel of each bhadra, two images of Parshvanath with attendants are depicted.
It is believed that the valanak existed as an integral part of the original temple built by Vatsaraj in the 8th century, and it was renovated with the addition of a pillar-supported hall in 956 CE.
The original Mahavir Temple is a fine example of early Rajasthani architecture, utilizing the earliest style of the trika mandapa with its characteristic phansana roof and Jain architectural features. The main temple and its devakulikas are a rich repository of early Jain architecture and sculpture, with the devakulikas being miniature gems of architectural art.

In conclusion, the author reiterates that Osian is a great Jain pilgrimage site in India, renowned since ancient times.

The temple, initially simple when established by Ratnaprabha Suri, gained its current form over centuries.
Inscriptions reveal the construction and existence of various parts of the temple, but the Maru-Gurjar style shikhar, dating to the 11th century, indicates a later addition.
The author posits that the temple's construction can be dated to the early Gupta period (as temples without shikhar were built then), but its artistic form evolved in the post-Gupta era, reaching its present state in the 11th century.
After the 11th century, Osian's fame as a major pilgrimage site spread widely. The renowned scholar Siddhasen mentioned Osian as a prominent pilgrimage site in his work "Sakalteerth Stotra" in the 12th century.
The Shvetambar Upakeshgachchh is also associated with Osian, mentioned in inscriptions from 1202 CE and an inscription from 1137 CE found in Aajari village, Sirohi. This gachchh was influential in Jaisalmer, Udaipur, and Sirohi between the 13th and 16th centuries.
While most Vaishnav temples in Osian were destroyed during the invasions of Muhammad Ghori, the Sachchiyay Mata and Mahavir Temples remain intact.
The author concludes by emphasizing that Osian, in terms of temple architecture and religious significance, is truly a site worth observing for every citizen of India.