171.76.111.149: /* History and monuments */

2021-07-15T11:17:38Z

History and monuments

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{{use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Taranga Jain Tirtha
| religious_affiliation = [[Jainism]]
| image = Taranga Temple 2017.jpg
| caption = Shwetambar Ajitanatha temple
| image_size = 300
| map_size = 300
| map_type = India Gujarat
| map_caption = Location within Gujarat
| coordinates = {{coord|23|57|59|N|72|45|17|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| location = Near [[Kheralu]], [[Mehsana district|Mehsana]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]]
| elevation_m = 45
| elevation_footnotes = <br />(Approximate)
| deity = [[Ajitnath]]
| festivals = [[Mahavir Janma Kalyanak]]
| temple_quantity = 14 Svetambara and 5 Digambara
| established = 1121
| creator = [[Kumarapala (Chaulukya dynasty)|Kumarapala]]
| governing_body = [[Anandji Kalyanji Trust]]
}}
[[File:Taranga Jain temples.jpg|thumb|Svetambara compound is visible on the right while Digambara compound is on left.]]
{{Jainism}}
'''Taranga''' is a Jain [[Tirtha (Jainism)|pilgrimage center]] near [[Kheralu]] in [[Mehsana district]], [[Gujarat]], [[India]], with two compounds of [[Jain temple]]s that are important examples of the [[Māru-Gurjara architecture|Māru-Gurjara style of architecture]]. The oldest Jain temple was constructed in 1161 by the [[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukya]] king [[Kumarapala (Chaulukya dynasty)|Kumarapala]], under the advice of his teacher, Acharya [[Hemachandra]]. Both the main wings of [[Jainism]] are represented, with adjoining walled compounds: the [[Svetambara]] compound consists of 14 temples in all, and there are also five [[Digambara]]-affiliated temples at Taranga hill.

==History and monuments==
Taranga became an important Jain pilgrimage site in the 12h century. In ''Kumarapal Pratibodha'' of Somaprabhacharya, composed in [[Vikram Samvat]] 1241, states the local Buddhist king Veni Vatsaraja and Jain monk Khaputacharya had built a temple for goddess Tara and thus the town was named Tarapur.<ref name="MishraRay2016"/>

The hill is for the most part covered with brushwood and forest is, on the east and west, crossed by a road that lead to a plateau where stand the temples built of white sandstone and brick. The main temple was built by [[Chaulukya dynasty|Chaulukya]] king [[Kumarapala (Chaulukya dynasty)|Kumarapala]] (1143 - 1174) after he became a follower of [[Jainism]] under his teacher Acharya [[Hemchandra]].{{sfn | ''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha'' | 2015 |page=442}}

;Ajitanatha Jain temple
In the centre of the main square of the length of {{cvt|230|ft}} and the breadth {{cvt|230|ft}}, this temple is {{convert|50|ft|adj=on}} long, {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} broad and {{convert|142|ft|adj=on}} high. It has a perimeter of {{cvt|639|ft}}. The {{cvt|902|ft}} high wooden summit of this temple is beautifully carved.

The temple is a fine example of [[Māru-Gurjara architecture|Māru-Gurjara style]], completed in 1161, which remains largely intact, and in religious use. The shikhara and the much lower superstructure over the mandapa are both among the "most complicated" in the style. The former begins with three rows of ''[[bhumija]]''-style miniature towers in clusters, before turning to the [[Sekhari (architecture)|''sekhari'']] style higher up, where the miniature towers are of varying lengths, and overlap. Over the mandapa, the lowest level continues the regular miniature tower clusters over the sanctuary, above which shallow pitched planes of roof are studded with miniature towers, with rows of beasts and urns along the edges of the planes. The surfaces are heavily decorated with figures and "honeycomb" [[gavaksha]] decoration, the figures "characterized by lively poses and sharply cut faces and costumes".<ref>Michell (1990), 310-311, 311 quoted</ref>

The red interior of the temple throws out in strong relief the 2.75 m white marble figure of [[Ajitnath]], the second [[Tirthankara]] seated in the shrine, decorated with precious stones let into the marble. The features wear the usual expression of deep repose or quiet covert scorn. On the right hand side of the temple, there are footprints of [[Rishabha]] and of the 20 Tirthankaras and on the left hand side, there are a temple of Gaumukha, the [[Samavasarana]], and the [[Jambudvipa]] painting. On the outer platform of the main temple, there are idols of [[Padmavati (Jainism)|Padmavati]] and Kumarapala himself.{{sfn | ''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha'' | 2015 |page=442}}

The special times of pilgrimage are during the full moon in the months of Kartika and Chaitra (November and April). In the adjoining shrines are various images. In one is an upright block of marble with 208 representations of the Tirthankara.{{sfn | ''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha'' | 2015 |page=442}}

;Digambar Jain temples
Digambars settled on this isolated hill with its three rocky peaks in early times. It is said that 35,000,000 [[Jain monasticism|monastics]], including the [[Ganadhara]]s Varadutta and Sagardutta, attained [[Moksa (Jainism)|moksa]] here. The two hillocks named Kotishila and Siddhashila have shrines with idols of the [[Tirthankara]]s, [[Neminath]] and [[Mallinath]] dated Vikram Samvat 1292. There are 14 Digambara temples in the foothills and a Digamabar [[dharamshalas]] is at the foothills. On the highest elevation of the three-peaked hill, there stands a "Tonk", a shrine built by Digambars, it houses a marble statue of the nineteenth Tirthankara, [[Mallinath]].{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

;Buddhist monuments
The earliest archaeological were reported in 1938. The Taranga hill bears the name of Taringa or Taranga, probably from a shrine of Taran Mata.<ref name="MishraRay2016">{{cite book|author1=Susan Verma Mishra|author2=Himanshu Prabha Ray|title=The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces: The temple in western India, 2nd century BCE–8th century CE|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NdLLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT66|date=5 August 2016|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-19413-2|page=66}}</ref> About 2.5 km north of the hill, the shrines of Taran Mata and Dharan Mata is situated near a natural stream. The idol of Taran Mata is dated to 8th-9th century based on its style. The construction of the right side of the stream is probably an altered Buddhist [[stupa]].<ref name="MishraRay2016" /><ref name="Vyas2006">{{cite book|author=Rajnee Vyas|title=Welcome to Gujarat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KUduAAAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Akshara Prakashan|page=69}}</ref><ref name="gtr">{{cite web |title=Taranga| website=Gujarat Tourism | url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/12/54 | access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha''|2015|page=442}}

There are also ancient cave shelters. Nearby cave, locally known as Jogida ni Gafa has a relics of four Buddhist statues known as Dhyani Buddhas under the [[Bodhi Tree|Bodhivriksha]]. The cave was used by Buddhist monks years ago.<ref name="MishraRay2016"/><ref name="Vyas2006"/><ref name="GTourism">{{cite web | title=Buddhist Caves, Taranga Hills, North Gujarat | website=Gujarat Tourism | url=http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/details/6/78 | access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Third century Buddhist relics, caves found at Taranga Hills|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/third-century-buddhist-relics-caves-found-at-taranga-hills/articleshow/4973867.cms|work=[[The Times Of India]]|date=5 September 2009 | access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Taranga Caves|url=https://www.gujarattourism.com/north-zone/mehsana/taranga-caves.html|work=[[Gujarat Tourism]]| access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Taranga Jain temple - Front view.jpg|Front view
File:Njj.jpg|Entrance to the temple
File:17-04-26 27 28 The Drive-10.jpg|Back view
File:Taranga Jain temple - Wall carvings.jpg|Wall carvings
File:Taranga2.jpg|Nearby pond and the temple in background
File:Tirthankara temples Tarangaji.jpg|Temples of Taranga
File:Front view of the Adinatha Temple, Timba Gujarat.jpg|Temple in 1890
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Jainism in Gujarat]]

==References==
{{commons category}}

===Notes===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*Michell, George (1990), ''The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India, Volume 1: Buddhist, Jain, Hindu'', 1990, Penguin Books, {{ISBN|0140081445}}
* {{cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dLUBAAAAYAAJ|year=1880| ref={{sfnref | Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur and Mahi Kantha| 2015}}|publisher=Government Central Press| pages=442}} {{PD-notice}}

{{Jain temples}}
{{Jainism Topics}}

[[Category:Jain temples in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Mehsana district]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1121]]
[[Category:1121 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Cultural history of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Mehsana district]]
[[Category:12th-century Jain temples]]
[[Category:12th-century establishments in India]]

Taranga Jain temple - Revision history

171.76.111.149: /* History and monuments */