Shankheswar

 

Shankheswar is a town in the Patan district of Gujarat state of India. It is an important place of pilgrimage for the followers of Jainism.  Shankheswar temple dedicated to Parshwanath is the centre of the town. The current temple was built in 1811. The white-colored idol of Bhagawan Shankheshvar Parshva in the Padmasana posture is 182 cms tall. There are 52 idols in the temple.

The idol of Bhagawan Bhidbhanjan Parshvanath is in small temple to the right of the chief idol and the idol of Bhagawan Ajitnath is in the small temple to the left of the main idol. The idols of Nagraj Dharanendra, Shri Padmavatidevi, Parshva Yaksha and Shri Chakreshvaridevi are there to protect the tirth, to remove the obstacles of the worshippers and to fulfill their wishes.

Besides this temple, there are the Agam Mandir, the temple of 108 Parshvanath and Padmavati, the Gurumandir, and other temples.

In ancient scripture, this tirth is referred to as Shankhapur. The story is that Ashadhi Shrvak became depressed, and began to ask questions about nirvana, liberation, and salvation. Answering all these questions, Damodar Swami, the ninth Tirthankar, said “Parshvanath will be the twenty-third Tirthankar in the Avasarpinikala (the descending half of the wheel of time). You will be his Ganadhar (prime disciple) named Aryaghosha and attain salvation there.” Shrvak then became fully absorbed in praying to Bhagawan Parshvanath and worshipping his idol, which went on to be worshipped in the worlds of gods, demons, and on earth.

On the tenth day of the month of Posh (the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Magasar) and during the Diwali days, thousands of pilgrims come here to observe a two-day long fast.

Source

http://www.jainjagat.com/viewtemple.php/Alpha/S/64

http://www.jinalaya.com/gujarat/shankheshwar.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankheshwar_Jain_Temple

http://pritam-rohila-travels.blogspot.in/2014_04_01_archive.html

http://www.jainsamaj.org/rpg_site/literature2.php?id=2391&cat=40

http://www.exploremytrip.com/location-details/info/MjU0MTI/108-Parshwanath-Bhaktivihar-Tirth

 

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