Shri Mahavirji stands on the bank of the Gambhir river in Karauli district, Rajasthan, and is one of the best known Digambara tirths of northern India. It is called an atishaya kshetra, a place where something remarkable is held to have happened, and the remarkable thing here is the image of Mahavira, said to have come out of the ground.
The temple is dedicated to Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara, whose life is told on the Mahavira page.
The image and the story
According to the tradition of the place, the image was found buried in a mound of earth, and the account is usually told with a cow that gave her milk to the ground at that spot until the people dug and found the image. The village is traditionally called Chandanpur or Chandangaon, and the place is also known by those names. The image is of reddish stone, and is a seated Mahavira.
This is a traditional account, and no document of the discovery is cited. What can be said is that the shrine has long been a place of worship and that the image is the centre of devotion.
History where scholars agree
The present temple is generally dated to the eighteenth century. It is a large complex with a tall entrance and a courtyard, built under the patronage of Jain officials of the kingdoms of Rajasthan at the time, and it has been added to since. Scholars agree on that, and on the fact that the place has a long history of worship. They do not have a firm date for the discovery of the image, and the earlier history rests on the community’s account.
A shared devotion
The site has a long relationship with the communities around it. People of other communities of the region, among them the Meena and Gurjar groups, also hold the image in great reverence and join in its festival. That makes the tirth unusual, since it is not only a Jain gathering but a regional one.
The annual fair
A large fair is held each year around the time of Mahavir Jayanti in the month of Chaitra, with a procession in which the image is carried on a chariot through the town. The date follows the Jain calendar, which this site computes: see the Mahavir Jayanti page and the Jain festivals page for the current dates. If you plan to go then, expect very large crowds.
How to reach it
- Nearest airport: Jaipur is the usual gateway, about three to four hours by road.
- Nearest railway station: Shri Mahaveerji, from where the temple is a short road journey. Confirm current train services before you plan.
- Dharamshalas and a dining hall for pilgrims are close to the temple.
Etiquette
- Dress modestly and leave leather outside.
- Walk barefoot in the courtyard and keep silent in the sanctum.
- Photography inside is restricted. Follow the notices.
- Do not eat in the temple area. Meals are taken in the dining hall, and follow Jain rules, as the recipes page describes.
- During the fair, follow the instructions of the volunteers, and let elders and children go ahead in queues.
- Respect the other communities who worship here as you would your own.
We have not given timings or fees, as the trust sets them.
Related
- Tirth guides: eight pilgrim places
- Mahavira: the 24th Tirthankara
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Pavapuri
- Shravanabelagola
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is special about the image at Mahavirji?
Tradition says it was unearthed from a mound near the village. It is a seated image of Mahavira in reddish stone, and it is the centre of the temple's devotion.
↳ Is Mahavirji Digambara or Shvetambara?
It is a Digambara tirth. People of other communities of the region also revere the image and join the annual fair.
↳ When is the fair?
It is held around Mahavir Jayanti in Chaitra. The date follows the Jain calendar, so check the current year on the festivals page.
↳ How old is the temple?
The present building is generally dated to the eighteenth century. The place of worship and the image are held to be older.