Modh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Modh is a nyat (community) of merchants (banias) who originated from Modhera in Gujarat in 10-11th century CE.
Famous Modhs include
- The famous Acharya Hemachandra (1089 -1172), advisor to Chalukya Kumarpal[1]
- Bhattaraka Kumudachandra of Bardoli of Mula Sangh, reigned during 1599-1630.
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance in India
The Modhs are Vaishnava Hindus or occasionally Jains. Since the number of Modh Jains has declined in the past few centuries, they have joined the nav-nat jain community.
The spiritual advisor to Mahatama Gandhi's mother was Modh Jain monk Becharji Swami. At his suggestion, Gandhi's mother asked him to promise that he would not eat meat in England, before she gave her consent to him going to England to study law.
There was a Modh Vasahika (Jain monestary) at Dhandhuka where the guru of Acharya Hemachandra stayed. There exist some historical Jain temples that were build by Modh merchants. About 500 Jain temples were built by a Modh Seth Paja in Samvat 1139 at Wadhwan[2].
[edit] External links
- Shri Modhera Tirth
- Gandhi, Modh community & Jainism
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth/Part I/Preparation for England
