Pawagiri Jain temple
Jain temple in the state of Madhya Pradesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pawagiri Jain Temple or Gvaleshwar temple is a Jain temple located in Oon village, Khargone district in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
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| Pawagiri Jain temple | |
|---|---|
ग्वालेश्वर मंदिर | |
Gvaleshwar temple | |
  Location within Madhya Pradesh | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Jainism |
| Sect | Digambara |
| Deity | Shantinatha |
| Festival | Mahavir Jayanti |
| Location | |
| Location | Oon village, Khargone, Madhya Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 21°49′14.2″N 75°27′15″E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Nagara architecture |
| Established | 13th century |
History
The temple was constructed by Jain merchants who migrated from Malwa following the annexation of King Kumarapala of Chaulukya dynasty in 1150 CE. The triratha pedestal of the Tirthankara idol inside the temple bears an inscription dated 1263 CE (V.S. 1321).[1]
Description
The temple plan is similar to Chaubara Dera 2, another nearby Jain temple. The temple features a square maṇḍapa with four doors, three lead to outside and one leads to garbhagriha of the temple.[2][3]
The temple is a siddha kshetras, site of moksha (liberation) for Jain monks. The temple is called Gvaleshwar as gvālas (cow herders) used to take shelter here during storms.[2][4] The main vedi enshrines three polished black coloured idols and the central idol is the mulnayak of the temple.[5] The mulnayak is a 12.5 feet (3.8 m) idol tall of Shantinatha that bears an inscription dated 1206 CE.[6]
This temple is protected by Archaeological Survey of India.[3]
