- Serisha Parshwanath
Post-serisha, Kalol, Dist-Ahemdabad
Mulnayak: Nearly 165 cms. high, black – coloured dol of Bhagwan Sherisa Parshvanath in the
Padmasana posture. This idol is made from a single stone.
Tirth: It is in the village Sherisa.
Historicity: This temple belongs to the 12th century. There is a very interesting story behind the origin of this beautiful and delightful idol of Bhagwan Sherisa Parshvanath. Seeing the natural beauty of Sherisa village, Acharya Shri Devendrasurishvarji was overjoyed and felt that this place was right for spiritual endeavours. By his divine knowledge, he saw a huge stone lying under the earth in the village. He felt that a beautiful idol of Bhagwan could be carved out of that stone. So, he prayed to Goddess Padmavati by fasting for three days (Attham tap). Goddess Padmavati appeared before him and gave him the necessary directions. Accordingly, a blind sculptor from the village of Soparak was called. This blind sculptor started to carve a beautiful idol after sunset from the stone which was found. He carved this idol of Parshvanath by fasting for three days. Before sunrise, a captivating idol of Parshvanath was carved. This idol was carved in a single night. That same night, Acharyaji thought of bringing four other idols of Thirthankaras from Ayodhya by his divine powers. Three idols reached Sherisa before sunrise and one idol was installed in Dharasenak village. Twenty-four more idols of Thirthankaras were brought to Sherisa. Kumarpal Maharaja also got a captivating idol made for this temple. All these idols were installed in a huge temple by Acharya Shri Devendrasurishvarji. The idol carved by the blind sculptor came to be known as “Sherisa Parshvanath”. The Mulnayak idol of Parshvanath was vaccilating and hence it
came to be known as “Lodhan Parshvanath”. By the divine powers of the Acharya, the idol stopped vaccilating and stood firm. In the 13th century, Mahamatya Tejpal built two Dev kulikas in this temple. In one, the idol of Neminath Bhagwan with Parrikar and in the other, the idol of Ambika
Devi was installed. The installation was done by the revered hands of Acharya Shri Vijaysensurishvarji. The idol of Padmavati Devi was installed in this temple in V.S.1420. At present, this ancient idol of Padmavati Devi is in Naroda Parshvanath temple in Ahmedabad. During the Muslim invasion in the 18th century, this temple was damaged. The jain community people safeguarded the idols. The temple again came into limelight in V.S.1969 when the great Acharya Shri VijayNemisurishvarji came to Kalol. On seeing the dilapidated temple, he asked the jain community to restore the temple. A huge temple was built by the Seth Shri Sarabhai Dahyabhai of Ahmedabad. In the year 2002 of the Vikram era, the installation ceremony was done by the
revered hands of Acharya Shri Vijaynemisurishvarji on the 10th day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakh. The management of this temple is in the hands of Seth Shri Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi.
Other Temples: There are no other temples.
Works of art and Sculpture: This idol of Sherisa Parshvanath is beautifully carved from a single stone by a blind sculptor in a single night. This idol is one of its kind and should be seen to believe. It is very alluring, unique, influential and miraculous. Many miracles happen here. Once a rich merchant lost all his ships in the sea. His wealth was gone and he became poor. His wife was ridiculed by a lady and she decided to call all her community people for lunch the next day. She came and told her husband of her decision. They prayed to Shri Sherisa Parshvanath to help them in this difficult situation. After sometime, a snake came and hid in a hole nearby. The lady fearing her disgrace the next day, put her hand in the hole thinking the snake would bite her. But a miracle happened. Instead of the snake biting her, a gold chain came in her hands. She sold the chain and with great delight served luncheon to her community people. This miracle of Parshvanath Bhagwan spread far and wide. When Acharya Nemisurishvarji and his disciples were coming to Sherisa, they lost the way. A voice asked them to go the other way. Not seeing anyone they continued on their journey and were surprised for sitting in the middle they saw a huge blue coloured snake (Dharnendra Dev). The dev showed them the right direction and asked them to go in that direction. Acharyaji and his disciples reached their destination after a short while.
Guidelines: The nearest railway station of Kalol is at a distance of 8 kms. from the temple on the Ahmedabad – Mehsana route. Ahmedabad is at a distance of 37kms. on the Kalol – Rancharda road. Bus service and private vehicles are available here. Dharamshala and Bhojanshala facilities are available here. Wamaj, Bhoyani, Pansar are close by from here.
Scripture: A mention of Sherisa Parshvanath is made in “Vividh Tirth Kalp”, “Nabhinandan ka Dwar Praband”, “Tirthmala”, “Sashvath Tirthmala”, “Updesh Tarangini”, “Sherisa Tirth Stavan”, “365 Shri Parshvajin Naammala”, “Shri Sankheswar Parshvanath Chaand”, “Shri Bhateva
Parshvanath Stavan”, “108 Naam Garbhit Shri Godi Parshvanath Stavan”, “108 Naam Garbhit Shri Parshvanath Stavan”, “Shri Parshvanath Naammala”, “Shri Parshvanath Chaitya Paripati”, etc. There is an idol of Shri Sherisa Parshvanath in Jiravala Tirth and in Kalikund Parshvanath temple
in Santacruz, Mumbai. There is a huge idol of Shri Sherisa Parshvanath in the main temple in
Surendranagar in Gujarat.
Trust: Shri Sherisa Parshvanath Shwetambar Jain Tirth, Sheth Shri Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi, Post: Sherisa, Taluk: Kalol, Distric: Gandhinagar, Gujarat – 380 007. India.
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श्री शेरीसा पार्श्वनाथ – श्री शोरीसा तीर्थ
कहा जाता है की शोरिसा किसी समयसोनपुर नगरी का एक अंग था| आज उस सोनपुर का तो नामोनिशान नहीं है, लेकिन शेरिसा आज भी एक भव्य व मनोरम तीर्थ स्थान है| इस जगह की प्राचीनता के चिन्ह खण्डहर अवशेषों व स्तंभों आदि में आज भी यहाँ पाए जाते है| वीर निर्वाण की १८ वि (विक्रम की १३वि) शताब्दी में श्री देवचन्द्राचार्यजी द्वारा श्री पार्श्वनाथ भगवान के मंदिर की प्रतिष्ठा करवाने करवाने का उल्लेख है| उस समय पार्श्वप्रभु की प्रतिमा श्री “लोढन पार्श्वनाथ” के नाम से प्रसीद्ध थी| यहाँ पर एक खंडित प्रतिमा के परिवार पर अंकित लेख से ज्ञात होता है की विक्रम की १३वि शताब्दी में मंत्री वास्तुपाल-तेजपाल ने अपने भाई मालदेव व उनके पुत्र पुनसिंह प्रतिष्टित करवाया था| इन सबसे यह सिद्ध होता है की यह उससे भी प्राचीन है| कविवर लावण्यासमय ने विक्रम संवत् १५६२ में बड़े ही सुन्दर ढंग से “शेरिसा तीर्थ स्तवन” की भक्तिभाव पूर्वक रचना की है| इस कारण यह भी कहा जा सकता हैकि इस तीर्थ की जाहोजलाली सदियों से बनी है| यहाँ पर समय-समय पर आवश्यक जिणोरद्वार होते रहे| विक्रम की १६वि शताब्दी के पश्चात किसी समय मुस्लिम आक्रमणकारों के हाथ यह तीर्थ खंडित हुआ|विक्रम संवत् १६५५ में खंडित जिनालय के खंडहरों की खुदाई करने पर कुछ प्रतिमाएं प्राप्त हुई, उन्हें एक ग्वाले का घर खरीद कर उसमे बिराजमान की| विक्रम संवत् १६८८ में पांच प्रतिमाओं पर लेप करवाया गया व अहमदाबाद के क्षेष्टि साराभाई डाह्याभाई निर्मित नूतन जिनालय की विक्रम संवत् २००२ में तीर्थोद्वारक निर्मित संवत् २००२ में तिर्थोद्वारक आचार्य श्री विजयनेमीसुरिश्वर्जी के हाथो वैशाख शुक्ला दशम के दिन प्रतिष्ठा संपन्न हुई|
यहाँ पर भोयंरे में स्तिथ श्री पार्श्वनाथ भगवान की प्रतिमा अत्याधीक सुन्दर व अपने आप में अनूठी है| यहाँ की पद्मावती देवी की प्राचीन सुन्दर प्रतिमा अभी नरोदा गाँव में है, जी दर्शनीय है|
