e of pilgrimage dates back to the time of Lord Neminath, our 22nd Teerthankara. It was built during the reign of King Susharm Chandra somewhere around the era of Mahabharat.
The legend has it that king Susharm Chandra one day decided to abstain from all food until he had a darshan of Lord Aadinath at Shatrunjay tirth in Gujarat. Ambika Devi, the Shasan Devi of Lord Neminath miraculously brought about the existence of the temple dedicated to Lord Aadinath at the king’s fort to save him from certain death due to starvation.
The ancient, majestic idol of Lord Aadinath still remains in a small shrine inside the Kangra fort. This tirth, which was one upon a time a glorious place, went into oblivion due to vagaries of time, probably the latest one being the devastating earthquake that hit this region in the year 1905. The place remained in a state of neglect under the possession of the government. Acharya Vijay Vallabh Suri Ji Maharaj of Shwetambar Moortipujak sect had discovered this tirth on the basis of a granth called Vigyapti Triveni. It was due to the untiring efforts of Sadhvi Mrigavati Shri Ji Maharaj (of Sh. Vijay Vallabh Suri Ji Samuday), that the possession of this tirth was handed over to the Jain community by the government. Jains are now allowed to perform Puja/Aarti of Lord Aadinath. The idol, however, is in the possession of the Archaeological Department and is kept in a small shrine within the fort. An idol of Ambika Devi is housed in another small shrine.
A fresh piece of land was acquired by the Jain community on the foothill of the fort where complete boarding and lodging arrangements were made for the pilgrims. A new temple of Lord Aadinath was also constructed in the same complex for which a new idol of Lord Aadinath was brought from Ranakpur.
Situated in the lap of nature with peaceful and picture-perfect surroundings and serene environs, the place provides for a perfect setting for meditation and introspection. Since its development, lakhs of people have visited this place from far off places. The tirth has been dubbed as ‘Shatrunjay of the North’ by many.
Kangra is situated in the state of Himachal Pradesh, at a distance of about 100 kms from Hoshiarpur (Punjab). The place is easily accessible by road. Nearest airports are at Dharamsala (10 kms) and Pathankot (97 kms) .
