SHRI CHANDRAPURI TIRTH
Presiding Deity and Location :
Shri Chandraprabhu Bhagwan in white color seated in a lotus posture and of height 45 Cms (Shve) and
Shri Chandraprabhu Bhagwan in white color seated in a lotus posture and of height 45 Cms (Dig).
Both near each other on the bank of Ganga in the village called Chandravati also known as Chandroti.
ANTIQUITY AND SALIENT FEATURES :
History of this holy shrine commences with 8th Tirthankar Sri Chandraprabhu Bhagwan.
Once upon a time a brave king named Mahasena ruled here. As his good fortune would have it, his queen Laxmimati had dreams indicative of the birh of a Tirthankar. At that very moment, the soul of Padmanabh, on completing his previous two incarnations entered the womb of the mother-to-be.
After full pregnancy, the queen gave birth to a son on Posh Krishna 11 during constellation of Anuradha. As the queen had a craving for “Chandra” (moon) during the period of pregnancy, the boy was named Chandraprabhu. Gods in heaven led by their chief Indra celebrated the occasion of this birth of Tirthankar with great joy and happiness.
On attaining the youth, Sri Chandraprabhu married and several years after he ruled as a king enjoying royal happiness, he decided to take Diksha. Giving away therefore all that he had, both cash and kind in charity during one full year before Diksha, he together with one thousand kings renounced the worldly life of splendour and entered the order of Jain monks in the garden of thousand mango trees on Posh Krishna 13 during the constellation of Anuradha. Three months after wandering as a Jain monk, he returned to the same garden and undertaing Kayotsarga meditation under a “Punnaga” tree attained Kewal Gnan on Falgun Krishna Saptami also when the ruling constellation was Anuradha, Gods in heaven led by their king Indra built a Samosaran at that time.
In this way, Bhagwan Sri Chandraprabhu’s four Kalnayaks viz, Chyvan, Janm, Diksha and Keval Gnan occurred in this place. The dates mentioned above are according to Swetamber traditions.
This shrine has been described in scriptures and Tirthmalas etc. There is a reference to this shrine in the compositon entitled, “Vividh Tirthkalpa” by Sri Jinaprabhasurishvarji of the 14th century.Near this place there are several hills from ancient times and it is believed that if proper excavations are carried out, many a relic and other valuable material of pre-historic periods are likely to be found.
Every particle of dust here is holy as the four Kalnayaks of the 8th present Tirthankar Bhagwan Sri Chandraprabhu have taken place in this area. The description of a place of such an importance is beyond words. During this period Bhagwan was physically present and delivering his religious discourses, countless people must have felt their life fulfilled. Even today the spiritual purifying vibrations make pilgrims experience exceptional peace of mind and no sooner they put their foot on this soil, they become immersed in the escatic joy of meeting the divine forgetful of all their external activities and anxieties. Natural beauty of the spot where these two temples are erected on the banks of the river Ganga is just absorbing. There are no other temples nearby.
APPROACH :
Nearby railway station of Kadipur and Banaras are 5 and 23 Kms away respectively. It is more convenient and advisable to settle down first ar Banaras and then visit this shrine. Buses stop on Basnaras-Gazipur main road from where the shrine is about 1Km far. Private buses and cars ply upto the dharamshala where the temple is only at a distance of about 200 meters.
AMENITIES FOR JAIN PILGRIMS :
For lodging, both Swetamber and Digamber dharamshalas exist where facilities such as water, electricity and cooking utensils etc are available.
Managed by :
Shri Jain Swetamber Teerth Society
Chandrapuri Tirth,
P.O. Chandravati- 221 104
Dist : Varanasi, (UP)
Tel : 0542-615316
Sri Digamber Jain Mandir
Chandrapuri Tirth
P.O. Chandravati- 221 104
Dist : Varanasi, (UP)
Tel : 0542-615289/ 615331 (PP)
