Aharji Explained

Aharji
Other Name:Aharji Kshetra
Settlement Type:city
Pushpin Map:India Madhya Pradesh
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Madhya Pradesh, India
Coordinates:24.75°N 79.14°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Madhya Pradesh
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Tikamgarh
Unit Pref:Metric
Elevation M:305
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Hindi
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30

Aharji is a historical pilgrimage site for Jainism in India. It is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, on the road from Tikamgarh to Chhatarpur. This place is famous for Jain Temple.

Aharji Jain Teerth

See main article: Aharji Jain Teerth. Aharji is a place full of natural attractive beauty. It is famous for the miraculous colossus of Lord (Shantinath) in standing (Khadagasana) posture. It is 18 feet in height.[1]

The main temple is famous for beautiful monumental image of Lord Shatinath from the Chandella period. It has an inscription on it[2] of 1180 AD (Vikram Samvat 1237). It was the last major temple to be built here in the Chandella period. Several other smaller temples were built here at the same time as the main temple.

Excavations have found a large number of Jain images that were installed here during 954 to 1275 AD (Samvat 1011 to Samvat 1332), spanning the reigns of six Chandella rulers. This was a major Jain center during the Chandella period. The inscriptions give the names of 32 separate Jain communities that had built these temples, including Golapurva, Parwar, Khandelwal, Golalare, Jaiswal etc.[3]

Shantinath image inscriptionThe Shantinath image has a long inscription [4] on it that mentions that two brothers, Jahad and Udaichandra, belonging to the Grahapati community, built the temple during the rule of Chandella ruler Paramardhi, who is well known as Raja Parmal in the popular ballad Alha-Khand. They were the descendants of the builders of the Sahasrakuta temple at Banpur. The image was carved by a sculptor name Papat. Trivedi [5] mentions that several Chandella inscriptions mentioning the Grahapati individuals have been found, and that they were noted for their significance and donations.

Location

The place is located in Taluka – Baldeogarh, District – Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, about 25 km from Tikamgarh.[6] The management committee is Shri Digamber Jain Siddha Kshetra Aharji Prabandhakarini Samiti, Nearby Cities include Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001
  2. Y.K. Malaiya, "The Sravakas of Madanasagarpura in the Chandel Period" Anekanta, July-Sept. 1993
  3. Thakurdas Bhagavandas Javeri, Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Directory, 1914
  4. Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001, p. 212-219
  5. H.V. Trivedi, "Inscriptions of the Paramaras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghatas and two minor Dynasties", part 3 of the 3-part Vol II of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, (published in 1989)
  6. Web site: शहर से 25 किमी दूर अहारजी में 26 से शुरू होगा तीन दिवसीय आवासीय शिविर, भास्कर . 21 August 2012 . https://archive.today/20130215145337/http://www0.bhaskar.com/article/MP-OTH-302486-3674907.html . dead . 15 February 2013 .

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