Sonagiri

For other uses, see Sonagiri (disambiguation).

Sonagiri Jain Tirth
सोनागिरी (Hindi) Shri Digamber Jain Siddha Shetra Sonagiri
Sonagiri Jain Tirth
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Sect	Digambara
Deity	Chandraprabhu
Festivals	Mahavir Jayanti
Governing body	Shri Dig. Jain Siddha Shetra Sonagiri Samrakshini Committee
Location
Location	Datia, Madhya Pradesh
Architecture
Date established	9th century
Temple(s)	103
Website
Sonagir Terapanthi Kothi Sonagir

Sonagiri (Hindi: सोनागिरी) or Swarnagiri about 60 km from Gwalior, has scores of Jain temples dating from the 9th century onwards. It is located in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, India. This location is popular among devotees and ascetic saints to practice self-discipline, and austerity and to attain Moksha (salvation or liberation). This place also has a Jain museum.

Etymology

In Hindi, Sonagiri means a mountain ('giri') of gold ('sona').

Approach

Sonagiri can be accessed via Dabra-Datia Road. This also lies on Gwalior-Jhansi Road. Sonagiri Railway Station lies on the Agra-Jhansi rail line.

Jain tradition

Jain Temples on Sonagiri Hill, wood-engraving of 1899

Sonagiri, a Siddha-Kṣetra, is considered one of the most important Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site).

According to Jain texts, since the time of Chandraprabhu (the 8th Teerthankar), five and a half crores of ascetic saints have achieved moksha (liberation) here. The place is considered sacred by devotees. There is a 3 metres (9.8 ft) rock cut image of Chandraprabhu dating back to the 5th to 6th century. There are a total of 103 temples with 77 on hill and 26 in village. The Samavsharan of Bhagwan Chandraprabhu came here seventeen times. According to Jain belief, King Nanganang along with half a million followers attained moksha. Nang, Anang, Chintagati, Poornachand, Ashoksen, Shridatta, Swarnbhadra and many other saints achieved salvation here.

This is a unique place known as Laghu Sammed Shikhar covering the area of 132 acres of two hills. Sonagiri was also had a Bhattaraka seat and following the death of Bhaṭṭāraka Candrabhūṣaṇa the seat became defunct in the late twentieth century. A number of Bhattarakapada-sthāpnā manuscripts were also composed here.

Architecture

There are total of 77 temples on the hill. Each temple are white in colour and features a high spire. The temple number 57 is the main temple in Sonagiri. Acharya Shubh Chandra and Bhartrihari lived and worked here for spiritual achievements. Like Kundalpur, Girnar Jain temples, Dilwara temples and Shikharji, the Sonagiri temple complex is known for its rich architecture.

Main Temple and Idol

Chandraprabha temple, Sonagiri

The temple Number 57 is the main temple. This is vast in size and possesses an attractive artistic spire. In this temple, the principal deity is a 11 feet (3.4 m) idol of Chandraprabha popularly known as Bade baba. There are two vedis (altar) with an idol of Sheetalnath and Parsvanatha on either side on the main vedi. The temple also includes a 43 feet (13 m) manastambha (transl. column of honour) and a model of Samavasarana.

The Samavasarana temple enshrines a beautiful sculptural representation of Samavasarana. The sculpture features moulding at the base supported by three circular tiers surmounted by a square pavilion and enshrines a chaumukha (four-faced) image of a Jina at the centre.

The temple is popular among Jain devotees and was also visited by former US president Bill Clinton and European presidents.

Fair

A ratha yatra is organised here after Holi from Chaitra Pratipada to Rang Panchami. An annual 'flag hoisting' ceremony is also organised, on this occasion the old flag of the spire is replaced with a new golden coloured flag.

Gallery

• 
  Jain temples, Sonagiri hill
• 
  Sonagiri Jain temple
• 
  Nandishwar temple, Sonagiri
• 
  Samavsharan temple
• 
  The image of Chandraprabhu inside the main temple

See also

• Muktagiri
• Gopachal Hill

References

Sources

Books

• Burgess, James; Cousens, Henry (1903). The Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat, More Especially of the Districts Included in the Baroda State. Archaeological survey of western India. Vol. 9. Bombay: B. Quaritch.
• Caine, William Sproston (1891). Picturesque India: A Handbook for European Travellers. Routledge.
• Dobbie, Aline (2004). India: The Tiger's Roar. Cambridgeshire: Melrose Press. ISBN 978-0-9548480-2-6.
• Gough, Ellen (11 October 2021). Making a Mantra: Tantric Ritual and Renunciation on the Jain Path to Liberation. New Studies in Religion. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226767062.
• Flügel, Peter, ed. (2006). Studies in Jaina History and Culture: Disputes and Dialogues. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-23552-0.
• Hudson, Kenneth; Nicholls, Ann (1975). Directory of Museums. Springer. ISBN 9781349014880.
• Kuchalambal, Abhitha (2016). Tales Told to the Tooth Goddess. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 9781482819656.
• Keul, István (2017). Consecration Rituals in South Asia. Brill Publishers. ISBN 978-90-04-33718-3.
• Mitra, Swati (2009). Orchha, Travel Guide. Goodearth Publications. ISBN 9788187780915.
• Mitra, Swati (2012). Temples of Madhya Pradesh (1 ed.). Goodearth Publications. ISBN 9789380262499.
• Murray, John (1903). A Handbook for Travellers in India, Burma, and Ceylon: Including the Provinces of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras ; the Punjab, North-West Provinces, Rajputana, Central Provinces, Mysore, Etc. ; the Native States, Assam and Cashmere (4 ed.). John Murray (publishing house).
• Titze, Kurt; Bruhn, Klaus (1998). Jainism: A Pictorial Guide to the Religion of Non-Violence (2 ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 81-208-1534-3.
• Sangave, Vilas Adinath (2001), Facets of Jainology: Selected Research Papers on Jain Society, Religion, and Culture, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan, ISBN 978-81-7154-839-2
• Shukla, U. N.; Kulshreshtha, Sharad Kumar (2019), Emerging Trends in Indian Tourism and Hospitality: Transformation and Innovation, Copal Publishing Group, ISBN 9789383419760
• Arihant Experts (2019). Know Your State - Madhya Pradesh (2 ed.). Arihant Publications. ISBN 9789313193265.

Web

• Detige, Tillo (2017). "Manuscript Collections of the Western and Central Indian Bhaṭṭārakas". SOAS University of London (12): 36–39. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
• Hegewald, Julia A. B. (2010). "Visual and conceptual links between jaina cosmological, mythological and ritual instruments" (PDF). SOAS University of London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Jamison, Stephanie W. (2013). "Reviewed Work: Selected Papers by Colette Caillat". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 133 (1): 166–67. doi:10.7817/jameroriesoci.133.1.0166. JSTOR 10.7817/jameroriesoci.133.1.0166. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
• Mallick, Anurag; Ganapathy, Priya (2015). "On a spiritual quest". Deccan Herald.
• Sharma, Aurvi (2015). "Eleven Stories of Water and Stone". Prairie Schooner. 89 (1): 9–25. doi:10.1353/psg.2015.0082. JSTOR 24639992. S2CID 57724802. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
• Yadav, Neeta (2004). "Socia-Religious History of Bundelkhand". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 65: 1205–1207. JSTOR 44144832. Retrieved 7 May 2022.

External links

• Media related to Sonagiri at Wikimedia Commons
• Columbia University in the city of New York - Sonagiri