Jain Tirth Yatra Vivaran

This document is the Jain Tirth Yatra Vivaran (Description of Jain Pilgrimages) by Dahyabhai Shivlal. It's a guide intended to help Jain pilgrims plan their journeys, especially those who may not be fully aware of the details of various pilgrimage sites.

Here's a comprehensive summary of its content:

Purpose and Motivation: The book aims to provide practical information to Jain pilgrims, addressing common difficulties such as:

• Lack of complete knowledge about Jain pilgrimage sites.
• The need to travel to the same place multiple times, wasting time and money.
• Not knowing the best transportation routes from one station to a pilgrimage site.
• Not knowing the location of post offices or telegraph offices at pilgrimage sites.
• Inconvenience caused by a lack of maps and route information.

The author notes that while other books on Jain pilgrimages exist, they often lack maps of India's pilgrimage sites, making it hard for travelers to visualize their journey and upcoming destinations. Furthermore, the cost of previous books was also a barrier for general accessibility. This book includes maps of all Jain pilgrimage sites and the railway lines leading to them.

Content and Approach:

• Personal Experience and Compilation: The author clarifies that while they have personally visited some sites (marked with a symbol), the information for other sites has been gathered from locals and fellow travelers. They acknowledge potential inaccuracies and request readers to inform them of any errors for future editions.
• Language: The book is presented in Hindi, with the author mentioning their primary language is Gujarati. The Hindi was improved by Pandit Govindraiyani.
• The True Fruit of Pilgrimage (Page 9-11): This section emphasizes that true happiness comes from knowledge and its application. It encourages continuous learning and self-improvement. The author laments the decline of India's intellectual prowess, attributing it to a departure from the pursuit of knowledge and embracing restrictive traditions. They highlight the historical practice of ancient Aryans undertaking long journeys for knowledge, comparing their own country to others and bringing back beneficial ideas. Pilgrimage is presented not just as a ritual but as an essential part of acquiring knowledge, broadening horizons, and becoming wiser, even for the less learned. Scholars benefit from travel by gaining new perspectives and enriching others.
• Important Instructions for Pilgrims (Page 11-17): This is a crucial section providing practical advice:
  1. Sin: Warns that sin committed at a pilgrimage site is more serious than sin committed elsewhere, emphasizing the need to avoid sinful behavior.
  2. Intention: Pilgrimage should be undertaken for purification and to overcome sins, not for seeking fame or only for the sake of rituals. Devotion should not be overshadowed by indulgence in food and social gatherings.
  3. Charity: Pilgrims should help the poor and needy who wish to undertake pilgrimage, or provide food and clothing to the hungry.
  4. History and Significance: Understand the history and importance of a pilgrimage site to derive its full benefit.
  5. Spiritual Reflection: Study the lives of great souls who attained liberation at the site, reflect on their virtues, and compare oneself to them. Engage in scriptural study and self-reflection.
  6. Feedback and Improvement: Observe the facilities at pilgrimage sites (like inns, temples, donations) and provide constructive feedback in visitor books. Help improve any shortcomings.
  7. Donations: Contribute generously to the temple offerings (bhandar) as funds are essential for maintaining facilities and ensuring pilgrim comfort.
  8. Vows: Take meaningful vows during pilgrimage that promote personal and societal growth.
  9. Spiritual Progress: True pilgrimage should lead to self-improvement by abandoning negative traits (anger, greed, etc.) and cultivating virtues (compassion, equality, etc.). Respect and learn from ascetics, scholars, and spiritual leaders.
  10. Interpersonal Relations: Meet fellow travelers from different regions, assist them if possible, and adapt one's behavior to foster friendly relations.
  11. Local Observation: Observe local customs, trade, the prosperity of cities, the prevalence of different religions, and the state of Jain education.
  12. Diet and Water: Eat regulated meals, avoid excessive sour and spicy food, and boil water if it is considered heavy.
  13. Clothing: Carry warm clothes for travel in colder regions.
  14. Travel Safety: Secure luggage properly on trains, be vigilant against theft, and consider daytime travel for families with children.
  15. Information Gathering: Seek information about onward journeys from returning pilgrims or site managers. Document donations and obtain receipts. Advise on the best season for travel (Ashwin to Phalgun for mountain sites).
• Railway Rules (Page 18-19): Provides essential information on railway timings, class fares, rules for ticket changes, refunds, luggage allowances, and reporting issues with railway staff.
• Indian Postal Department Rules (Page 20-21): Details postal regulations for letters, postcards, book packets, parcels, value-payable posts, registration, insurance, and money orders.
• Telegraph Rules (Page 21): Explains rules for sending express and ordinary telegrams, including language and script requirements.
• List of Jain Holy Places (Page 22-36): This is a comprehensive list organized by province, categorizing sites as Siddha Kshetra (places where Tirthankaras attained liberation) and Atishay Kshetra (places with miraculous qualities or significant temples). It lists states and the number of such sites within them, followed by a detailed alphabetical index of pilgrimage sites with:
  • Reason for reverence
  • State it's located in
  • Nearest railway station
  • Distance from the station
  • Means of transport from the station
  • Information about post and telegraph offices
  • Details about fairs and festivals.
• Introduction to Sammed Shikhar and Surrounding Sites (Page 37-43): This section provides a detailed travelogue of the journey from Varanasi to Sammed Shikhar, including stops at various significant Jain sites like Arrah, Patna, Rajgir, Kundalpur, Pavapuri, Gunavani, Champapuri, and Mandargiri. It describes the geography, facilities, and spiritual significance of each place. It also provides travel instructions and fare details for reaching Sammed Shikhar from various locations and onward journeys to other places like Kolkata and Khandagiri.
• Glories of Sammed Shikhar (Page 44-47): This section lists Tirthankaras and the number of monks who attained liberation from Sammed Shikhar, along with the spiritual merit gained by visiting each Tirthankara's shrine.
• Travel Routes and Distances (Page 48-56): Provides detailed information on road and rail routes and distances from major cities and towns to various pilgrimage sites across India, including Girnar, Kesariyaji, Muktagiri, Pavagarh, Taranga Hill, etc.
• Descriptions of Major Cities (Page 57-64): Offers brief descriptions of prominent cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chittor, Udaipur, Indore, Nashik, Pune, Mumbai, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Banaras, Kanpur, and Allahabad, highlighting their importance, key sights, and Jain temples. It also provides information on accommodation and local transport.
• Fare Lists (Page 65-70): Includes extensive tables of railway fares from various stations to key pilgrimage sites and major cities across India.
• List of Jain Books (Page 71-75): A catalog of Jain books published by the "Shri Jain Granth Uddharak Karyalaya, Chandawadi, Bombay," with brief descriptions and prices. These include spiritual texts, plays, devotional songs, and guides.
• Jain Religious Instruction (Page 76-77): A concluding section with short notes and advertisements, including a mention of a "Rishi Mandal Poojan Vidhan" (Worship Method of the Sage Circle) and other Jain literature.

In essence, Jain Tirth Yatra Vivaran is an exhaustive and practical guide for Jain pilgrims, combining spiritual guidance with essential travel logistics, historical information, and an extensive directory of pilgrimage sites, thereby fulfilling its objective of making pilgrimage planning more accessible and efficient.