Jain Circuit in Bihar Tourism

Trithankar Vardhaman Mahavir, the last Tirthankar was born in the middle of the 6th century BC to a nobleman Siddharth of the Jnatrika clan in the suburb of the city of Vaisali.He was the follower of Parshwa the twenty-third Tirthankar.Mahavir’s mother Trisala was related to the ruling Lichchhavi house of Videh.

In Mahavir’s thirtieth years his parents ended their lives it is believed by voluntary starvation.His elder brother Nandivardhan succeeded to the principality while Vardhaman Mahavir renounced the world and became an ascetic.He was borne from home in a palanquin to the shade of an Ashok tree where he divested himself of his ornaments and fine clothes.From then on for thirteen years till the age of forty three he lived a life of extreme self-mortifica tion.At the end of this period while he was in deep meditation under a shala tree on the banks of the river Rijupalika,he achieved the state called nirvana or kaivalya.

He was acclaimed as a Kevalin(supreme omniscient),Jina(conqueror),Arhat(Blessed One) and Tirthankar(ford-finder).In a long wandering life of 42 years in north and south Bihar he gathered a considerable following of monks known as the Nirgranthas or men who discarded all social bonds who after Mahavir’s death (490BC) became known as Jains.

Mahavir is said to have breathed his last at a place called Apapa (Pawa) in Bihar while other twentythree Jain Tirthankars died on the famous Parasnath Hill a mountain in the Jharkhand state named after the twenty-third Jain Tirthankar,Parshwanath who attained Nirvana by voluntary starvation on this hill.

Places associated with Lord Mahavir and other Jain Tirthankars have become most venerated pilgrim centres for followers of the Jain faith. You can visit Jain Pilgrim centers of Bihar bounded in as a Travel Circuit for a meaningful tour to these places.

Arrah
Bisram
It is said that Lord Mahavira,the last Jain Tirthankar took rest for some time at this place during his wanderings. Hence this place is called Bisram or rest.The Jains from every part of the country visit this place throughout the year.The temple contains an idol of the Lord Mahavira.There are about 45 Jain temples at Arrah.

Masar
The village is situated about 9kms west or south –west of the Arrah town.There is an ancient Jain temple dedicated to Parsvanatha and contains eight images some of which belong to earlier dates as seen from the inscriptions on each of them. The temple was cmpleted as per archeological records in the year 1819 A.D while some of the eight images belong to 1386 A.D.Annul pooja at this temple takes place in the month of Shravana when thousands of Jains visit this place and do their Bandana.

How to reach
By air –Patna airport
By rail-On Delhi-Howrah main line Arrah/Karisath
By road –Arrah-8km
Where to Stay -Many budget hotels and dharamshalas with reasonable facilities availble.