SHRI CHAMPAPURI TIRTH

PRESIDING DEITY AND LOCATION :

Shri Vasupuja Bhagwan seated in lotus Posture in white color and of height 45Cms (Shve). Sri Vasupujiya Bhagwan ina lotus posture in green color and of height 97 Cms (Dig) both in a shrine on the bank of Ganga near Bhagalpur railway station almost adjacent to Champanala which is called Champanagar (Champapuri)

ANTIQUITY AND SALIENT FEATURES :

Bhagwan Shri Adinath had divided the country into 52 Janapads (area of land where people lived together). Once such area was called Anga and CHampanagari was its capital. The 12th Tirthankar out of the 24 of the present cycled of time viz Bhagwan Sri Vasupujiya had all ofis five Kalyanaks viz Chyavan, Janm, Diksha, Keva Gnan and Moksha at this place. Once upon a time this city was very prosperous and its area was spread far and wide.

King Vasupujiya once ruled here. His queen was Jayadevi.On Jeth Sukla Navami when queen Jayadevi indicated saw auspicious dream on her sleep indicative the birth of a Tirthankar, the soul of Padmottara after completing his earlier two incarnations entered the womb of Jayadevi who later i.e after a nine month period of pregnancy gave birth to a son on Falgun Krishna 14 with the sign of a buffalo. The son was named aptly therefore Vasupujiya and Gods led by their chief Indra and people of the county celebrated the event of birth with a great joy. There was distribution of sweets and other necessities from the state treasury.

On attaining youth, the parents prepared for the marriage of Vasupujiya but as he considered worldly andmaterial happiness of no ever-lasting value he did not accept the suggestion of a marriage. In the course of time, giving away all his belongings to people in a period of one year and commencing austerity of fasting, he renounced the worldly life and took Diksha. After wandering as a recluse for a long period he once again visited this place and under a patal tree while in a posture of deep meditation he attained Keval gnan. Later while delivering religious sermons Bhagwan Sri Vasupujiya together with his 600 other saint disciples attained Moksha int his city in the constellation of Uttara Bhadraprasad on Ashadh Sokla 14 while still in the state of his vows of fasting.

According toDigamber traditions Bhagwan was born onFalgun Sukla 14 and attained Moksha on Falgun Krishna 5 (Mandagiri is supposed to be the actual place where he got his Diksha and also Keval Gnan. Mandagiri was part of Champapuri and is almost 8Kms away).

Bhagwan Sri Parshvanath and Sri Mahavir paid visits here during their life-times. Afterwards Lord Mahavir’s disciple Shri Sidharma Swami and Sri Jambu had also paid their visits here.

During the reign of Kunik (Ajathashatru, son of king SHrenik, the king of Magadh State), this city had both prosperity and rate beauty.

This holy land has been touched upon by the holy feet of 1st TIrthankar Bhagwan Sri Adhinath and also 23rd and final 24th Tirthankar Sri Parshvanath and Sri Mahavir respectively. This has been the only holy place where all the Kalyanaks of a Tirthankar have occurred and Bhagwan Sri Vasupujya was that Tirthankar. Sri Mahavir, had visited this place several times. His Samosaran was also held here. Lord Mahavir’s great devotee Kharavak Kamdev belonged to this place. This is the land of birth of great souls like Sri Sudarshan Sheth, Maharaja Sripal and Sati Chandanbala Sati Subhadra also lived here. (According to DIgamber traditions Sri Chandanbala was the daughter of king Chetak of Vaishali kingdom.

The city was the capital of Karna, the king among donors, Dadhivahana king Karakanda and Kunik (Ajathashatru) son of Shrenik (Bimbisara) and many others. Sheth and Sudarshan was out on the spike in this city and the miracle of the conversion of spike into the seat of a king had taken place there. Sheth Sudarshan was the son of Sheth Vrashbhadutta. Later Sheth Sudarshan also took diksha in this city and was ascended into heaven from Gulzar Bag of Pataliputra.

In this way numerous brave Jain kings, groups of saints and wealthy householder Shravaks had lived in this city. They had innumerable acts spreading far and wide the name and fame of Jainism and their names therefore, will for ever remain written in golden letters in the annals of the history of Jainism. On the salvation day of the Bhagwan viz Ashadh Sukla 14 every year, laddus are offered in prayers and a festival is held when thousands of devotees gather and collectively participate in the worship and other obeisance ceremonies.

Despite this city being so ancient and illustrious it is very unfortunate that no ancient art is visible here. It is possible and one can safely surmise that in the course of centuries many removals, transfers, etc., may have been taken place here from the temple resulting in such a misfortune. This is an ancient temple and it is believed that the same has also undergone several renovations.

In this temple, as memorabilia of all the five Kalnayaks of Bhagwan Sri Vasupujiya. His idols are installed at different places. Besides this temple, there are Shvetamber and Digamber Jain temples, of Nathnagar, Bhagalpur, and Digamber temple on mount Mandagiri.

APPROACH – ROUTE :

Railway Station of Bhagalpur is 6Kms away from the Shvetamber temple and 3Kms from the Digamber temple from where buses and autos are available. Cars and buses can ply right upto the temple gates.