SHRI NADLAYI TIRTH

PRESIDING DEITY AND LOCATION :

Sri Neminath Bhagwan in black color, seated in a lotus posture of height 75 Cms and Sri Adinath Bhagwan in white color, seated in a lotus posture, of height 75 Cms both located in shrines outside the village of Nadlayi, about 400 meters away, on two separate hills facing each other. (Shve).

ANTIQUITY AND SALIENT FEATURES :

The ancient name of this place as mentioned in scriptures are Nadduldagika, Nandkulvati, Nadulai, Naradpuri etc., IT is said that after seeing the widely sprawling area of this country of Mewad, Sri Naradji founded this city of Naradpuri. In “Vijayprashasti Mahakavya” there appears a reference mentioning about Sri Pradymna son of Lord Krishna having built a Jain temple on the top of a nearby mountain and installed ceremonially here an impressive idol of Sri Neminath Bhagwan. This mountain is called “Yadav Hill” opposite there is another mountain which is called “Shatrunjay Hill”. There is a magnificent temple of Sri Adinath Prabhu on this hill. There is an inscription on the idol here stating that repairs and renovations were carried out in Vikram year 1686. Both these mountains therefore are believed to be ancient and named reincarnations of GIrnar and Shatrunjay respectively.

It is stated that king Rajpal had gifted 1/20th amount of taxes received by him to the temple in Vikram year 1195. In 17th Vikram century, Sri Samaysunderji had made a mention of this temple in his Tirthmala. Panyas Shilvijayji also has described this temple in his Tirthmala.

The temple of Sri Adinath Bhagwan is believed to have brought here physically and Vallabhpur by Acharya Sri Yashobhadrasurishvarji in Vikram year 964 with the help of his yogic knowledge and power. According to another opinion, it is believed to have been brought here from Khednagar. That once this place was wallowing in prosperity and the city here was very large is found decisively from many references and stone inscriptions. It is said that from here upto Nadol there was an undergroundf passage.

The fact of Pradyumnakumar, son of Lord Sri Krishna having got constructed here this temple in a city founded by Sri Naradji is of great importance. Also here in the Royal Court on several occasions there used to be debates between highly erudite scholar Acharya Sri Yashobhadrasurishvarji and Yogi Tapesarji in which the latter had accepted defeats. There is a legend that later Sri Tapesarji had got himself initiated into the Jain order of saints at the hands of Sri Yashobhadrasurishvarji and had become famous under the name of Sri Keshavsuriji (Vasudevacharya). It is also stated that Sri Keshavasuriji had given religious discourses to the king of Hathundi named Vidagdharaj who accepted Jainism as his religion.

The temple of Sri Adinath Bhagwan brought here flying through sky by yogic powers of Sri Yashobhadraji still exists today. There is one temple of Shiva here also and it is believed that before getting himself initiated into the Jain order of saints Sri Keshavsuri may have brought it also flying through sky during the debate with Sri Yashobhadrasurishvarji.

Sri Yashobhadrasurishvarji and Sri Keshavsuriji both went to heaven from this place. As memoria their “Stupas” exist today. In ordinary people even at present, they are known as Jasia and Keshia. These events are described in Tirthmala composed by Sri Lavanyasamaya. In “Yashobhadra-suriras” composition, several miracles have been described. This is the birth place of Sri Vijaysensuriji, the disciple of Sri Hirvijaysuriji who had given discourses of Jainism to Badshah Akbar. Sri Hirvijaysuriji was honored with the titles of “Panyas” and “Upadhayaya” in this very place during Vikram years 1607-08.

The scenery between the two hills of “Shatrunjay and Girnar” is extremely pleasing and wonderful. The colored pictures on the ceiling of the hall in Sri Adinath Bhagwan’s temple in the village appear fresh and vivid through centuries old. Besides the temple mentioned above, there are seven other temples on the foot-hills of the mountains and four temples in the village.

APPROACH – ROUTE :

The nearby railway station of Falna (Ahemdabad-Delhi broad guage railway line ) is 40 Kms away and of Rani is 28 Kms away. At both these stations, buses and taxis are available. From here Desuri is 6 Km away, Ghanerao is 13 Kms away and Muchhala Mahavir is 16 Km away, The bus stand here is 500 meters away from the hills. Private cars and buses can go up to the base of the hills. To climb the hills, the steps are provided and the climb is not at all difficult. Climbing up and returning from both hills take only an hour’s time. The base of the hills is 3 Km away from the Dharamshala.