SHRI KALIKUND TIRTH

PRESIDING DEITY AND LOCATION :

Shri Kalikund Parshvanath Bhagwan in white color seated in a lotus posture, of height approx 35 Cms in a shrine in Calicut city (Shve).

ANTIQUITY AND SALIENT FEATURES :

It is believed that this temple is more that 500 years old but the antiquity of this place is difficult to find out as there is no evidence any where. The idol of the Prabhu looks very ancient but there is no inscription found even on the idol. Devotees here call Prabhu, Sri Kalikund Parshvanath from the beginning. Calicut was earlier known as Kojikod, Kozhikode etc., now again it is called Kozhikode.

At various places in India references are found of Kalikund Parshvanath. It is believed that Sri Parshvanath Bhagwan meditated near the mountain named “Kali” and a tank named “Kund” and their King Dadhivahan had built a temple which was named Kalikund. But the exact place and the history is not known till ate. It is but definite that whichever place miracles used to happen, the name of the place was added to Prabhu’s name or the place itself sometimes gets the Prabhu’s name.

From the antiquity of the idol of Prabhu, the reason for associating the name with Prabhu’s name for years and some similarity between the names, most probably this should be the main place of Kalikund Parshvanath. However this is a subject of research.

Approx, some 85 years back when foundation was laid for different temple in the courtyard of this temple, 34 ancient idols were found from the earth that are still kept in Shri Adhishvar Bhagwan temple. It is believed that Sri Adhishvar idol is of the time of king Samprati . Other idols too are quite old. No where there is an inscription. It is proven from this there were ancient temples here. Even in the southern areas over here, lot of ancient idols are found. In the state of Kerala, at various places, it is believed that countless idols are excavated from earth. But this is the first time that in the southern side that idols of the time of king Samprati have been excavated from earth.

According to a reference when there was a famine in Bihar state for 12 years, Arya Bhadrabahu Swami with his 1200 disciples Muni’s had shifted to the southern direction and stayed in Shravenbelgola. His saints then for the propaganda and glorification of Jainism went to Karnataka., Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and executed a lot of good works. Thy helped in the improvement of the language too. They wrote a lot of books in the respective languages which are available even today. But it is said that even before the Jain culture was found here and people of Jain community lived here. They were called Samanar.

The territory of King of Kaling Desh karkandu was almost full of Southern India and he was the chief disciple and devotee of Sri Parshva Prabhu and for this reason it is possible that Parshvaprabhu would have visited this place also and delivered sermons and religious discourses with which the community people would have been benefited. Like it is referred that Prabhu had visited Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh etc.,

It is said as stated earlier, that during one of his visits, Sri Parshva Prabhu was meditating at one place near mountain Kali and Pond Kund, where later king Dadhivahan constructed a temple and named Kalikund. That time an elephant from the jungle used to be in the service of Prabhu.

In this place even today lot of mountains, Kunds (Ponds) and elephants are found that cannot be seen anywhere else.

The above matter is of a good scope for research but it is definite that the history of this place is some 2000 years ago.

On the banks of sea, on mount Malaiyagiri where this town is located lot of ancient idols of Gods are excavated and that reveals that this would have been a big state at one point of time with lot of Jain inhabited and also a big centre for trade.

Here to reach anywhere one has to cross either sea or a mountain. One way from the mountains goes through Karnataka towards Maharashtra till Mumbai. Second through Karnataka towards Tamil Nadu and one more through Karnataka towards Andhra Pradesh. It is possible that many years ago this place would have been deserted due to a cyclone or a devastative earth quake and devotees were unable to visit this place they would have given this name which consecration of some other idol at other places, one such idol is still there in Dhokla Tirth. But since there is a similarity in the name here its possible that this should be the main place of Kalikund Parshvanath. However, this is a area for research.

There is one more Swetamber temple apart from this.

The idol of Sri Kalikund Parshvanath Prabhu is very simple and attractive. In the temple of Adhishvar Bhagwan here, the ancient idols of the period of king Samprati are very artistic and pleasing to the eyes. The architecture and construction of the temple is totally different and is in a class of its own. All the temples in Kerala, such work can be found.

APPROACH – ROUTE :

From the temple the Calicut Railway station is approx 1Km away so is the bus stand. Autos and taxis are available here. From the temple, the buses can go upto 30 Mts and the cars till 15 Mts. There is a tar road upto the temple. Badgara is 50 Kms, Mangalore 200 Kms, Soranoor 100 Kms and Cochin approx 200 Kms away from this shrine.

AMENITIES FOR JAIN PILGRIMS :

For lodging there is a place called Mahajanwadi with all facilities., where 200 pilgrims can be accommodated. Bhojanshala is not available., but food can be arranged on prior intimation.