Dimapur Jain Temple

Dimapur Jain Temple
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Deity	Mahavira
Festivals	Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan
Location
Location	Dimapur, Dimapur, Nagaland, India
Location within Nagaland Dimapur Jain Temple (India)
Geographic coordinates	25.9200°N 93.7300°E / 25.9200; 93.7300
Architecture
Creator	Shri Phulchand Sethi, Shri Jethmal Sethi, Shri Udayram Chabra and Shri Kanhaiyalal Sethi
Date established	1947

Dimapur Jain Temple was built in 1947. The temple is architecturally very well built and has an impressive structure. The temple has some intricate glass work. The temple is considered very auspicious by the people of Dimapur. The temple is located in Jain Temple Road and is surrounded by the SD Jain High School and the Mahavir Bhawan. The Moolnayak of the temple is Lord Mahavira. Dimapur is the business center of Nagaland today and most of the Jain families have settled in Dimapur. The Dimapur Jain Temple is under the aegis of the SD Jain Samaj Dimapur.

History

During the pre-independence era, most of the Jain families were settled in Kohima. All these families belong to the Digamabar sect. The first Jain temple in Nagaland was built in Kohima in 1920 by 8 Sethi families. However these families moved to Dimapur in 1944 due to Japanese invasion during the IInd World war. These families then built the Dimapur Jain Temple, SD Jain School, SD Jain Charitable Hospital. The most prominent among these were Shri Phulchand Sethi, Shri Jethmal Sethi, Shri Kanhaiyalal Sethi and Shri Mangilal Chabra. Shri Phulchand Sethi was the first secretary of the SD Jain Samaj, Dimapur and continued on this post till 1976. Shri Udayram Ji Chabra was the first president of the SD Jain Samaj followed by Shri Jethmal Sethi.

The first Jain temple in Nagaland was established in Kohima. The temple was established in 1920 by 8 Sethi families, who were the first non naga settlors in Nagaland, prominent among them being Hardev Sethi, Hiralal Sethi, Phulchand Sethi. These families then moved to Dimapur in 1944 due to Japanese invasion during World War II. These families established the Jain temple in Dimapur in 1947.

The Temple Complex

The Moolnayak of the temple is Lord Mahavira. In the back portion of the temple, the statues of Lord Adinath, Lord Bahubali, Lord Bharat Swami stand tall. The back portion was built later in 1989. The Panch kalyanak of the statues was conducted by Ganini Shri Suparshmati Mataji in 1989. On the first floor is the Samavsaran and the Chaubisi (idols of all the twenty-four Tirthankaras).

This Jain community also runs a charitable clinic by the name Shri Digamber Jain Charitable Clinic.

Gallery

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  Mulnayak Pratima at Jain Temple, Dimapur

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  Trimurti at Jain Temple, Dimapur

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  The Original list of Donor's of Jain Temple Dimapur

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  Samavsaran at Jain Temple Dimapur

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  Idols of the 24 Jain Tirthankars at Jain Temple Dimapur

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  The intricate glass work inside the Dimapur Jain Temple

See also

• Jainism in Nagaland
• Dimapur

References

• http://www.easternmirrornagaland.com/dimapur-jain-community-observes-paryushan/
• http://nagalandpost.com/Showstory.aspx?npoststoryiden=TkVXUzEwMDA3ODI0OQ%3D%3D-g5kS%2Bd197Sg%3D
• http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140107/jsp/bihar/story_17757074.jsp

Sources

• Sethi, Raj Kumar (2021), 100 years of Jainism in Nagaland - (A journey from 1885 to 1985), Walnut Publication, ISBN 978-93-91522-04-9