Tijara Jain Temples, Rajasthan

Introduction

The Tijara Jain temple is located in the hill town of Tijara in the Alwar district of Rajasthan and is a famous place of pilgrimage for the Jains. It is also referred to as the 1008 Chandraprabhu Jain Atishaya Kshetra as it is dedicated to the 8th Tirthankar Bhagavan Chandraprabhu. The ancient name of Tijara was Dehra and while digging the main idol of Lord Chandraprabhu was miraculously found and due to this people from all walks of life all over the world come to pray at this sacred and holy place.

Main Temple and Idol

The main idol of the temple is Bhagavan Chandraprabhu and it is made of white stone and 15 inches in height. It was installed on the 3rd day of the Vaisakh Shukla 1554 according to inscriptions on the idol and the idol is in Padmasana posture. Another idol of Bhagavan Chandraprabhu made of black stone and 8 inches in height was also discovered a little later. Both these idols are installed in a beautiful rectangular temple which has a high pinnacle and adorned with marvellous arches and pillars. The temple is an exquisite piece of art with elaborate carvings, intricate sculptures and ancient paintings. The hall has a capacity of accommodating 2000 people at a time. The chambers and walls on both sides of the hall are decorated with works of glass and colourful paintings based on mythology. (comp.utm.my)

Other Temples

There is another temple with attractive pinnacles which was constructed in Vaisakh Shulkla 1895.The main deity of this temple is Bhagavan Parshvanath the 23rd Tirthankar. Another idol of Lord Neminatha the 22nd Tirthankar which is said to be miraculous was installed in the month of Vaisakh Shukla 1135 and other idols of this temple were installed in 1548 in the month of Vaisakh Shukla.

How To Reach

Air: – The Delhi Airport is about 125 km. The other nearest airport is Jaipur airport at a distance of 143 km.

Rail: – Alwar is the biggest railway station in the district, situated on Delhi-Jaipur broad gauge section of Western Railway. There is 158 km of railway track in the district. The district is well connected by rail to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mathura and other major towns of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, etc

Road: – A wide network of bus services link is also available. The National Highway No.8 passes through the distict. Behror, an important city of the district is on the route connecting Jaipur with Delhi. A State Highway also runs from Alwar to Bharatpur

Accommodation

Dharmshalas of the Kshetra contain 234 general rooms and 38 with attached bath, 60 semi deluxe rooms, 2 deluxe rooms, having a mess (Bhojanalaya). Items like utensils, bed, tent etc. are also available.

Conclusion

This temple is a very sacred place for the Jains and pilgrims pray here with faith and devotion as all problems are said to be solved at this place and the perseverance and devotion of the pilgrims is strengthened helping them in their spiritual quest for bliss and enlightenment.