Golapurva

Ahar Kshetra (Golapurva Center)
—  city  —
Ahar Kshetra (Golapurva Center)
Location of Ahar Kshetra (Golapurva Center)
in Madhya Pradesh and India
Coordinates
Country India
State Madhya Pradesh
District(s) Tikamgarh
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
Area

Elevation


305 metres (1,001 ft)

Jainism

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Jainism Portal

Golapurva (Sanskrit गोलापूर्व or गोल्लापूर्व्व Hindi गोलपूरब ) is an ancient Jain community from the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.

Contents

History

Jainism had a continuous presence in the Bundelkhand region since antiquity. Jainism was flourishing during the Gupta period at Vidisha region. The Durjanpur idols installed during the rule of Ramagupta date to about 365 AD. The Udaigiri cave Parshvanath inscription mentioning the lineage of Bhadranvaya is dated to 425 AD.[1] The great Shantinath temple at Deogarh was built before 862 CE, suggesting a prosperous Jain community in this region.

A number of Chandella-period inscriptions mentioning the Golapurva community have been found.[2] These include Urdamau (Sam. 1149, 1171 i.e. CE 1092 and 1114), Bahuriband (1125 AD), Mau (sam 1199), Jatara (Sam 1199), Ahar (sam 1202), Chhatarpur (sam. 1202), Papaura (sam 1202), Mau (sam 1203), Navai (sam 1203), Mahoba (sam. 1219) etc. With the exception of Bahoriband, all the oldest inscriptions have been found in the vicinity of the Dhasan River (Sanskrit Dasharna).

संवत १०..फाल्गुन वदि ९ सोमे श्रीमद गयाकर्णदेव विजयराज्ये राष्ट्रकूटकुलोद्भव महासमन्ताधिपति श्रीमद् गोल्हणदेवस्य प्रवर्धमानस्य || श्रीमद् गोल्लापूर्वाम्नाये वेल्लप्रभाटिकायामुरुकृताम्नाये तर्कतार्किक चूडामणि श्रीमन् माधवनन्दिनानुगृहीतः तस्साधु श्री सर्व्वधरः तस्य पुत्र महाभोज धर्म्मदानाध्ययनरतः तेनेदं कारितं रम्यम शान्तिनाथस्य मन्दिरं|स्वलात्यम् सर्ज्जक सूत्रधारः श्रेष्ठि नमावितानं महाश्वेतं निर्मितमतिसुन्दरं|| श्रीमच्चन्द्रकराचार्य्याम्नाय देशीगणान्वये समस्त विद्या विनयानन्दित विद्वज्जनाः प्रतिष्ठाचार्य श्रीमत् सुभद्राश्चिरं जयतु ||
The Bahuriband Inscription 1125 CE

The towns historically connected with the Golapurva community are in Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Sagar and Damoh districts in Madhya Pradesh and Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh. This region still has a large population of Golapurvas,[3][4]

According to Vardhamana Purana of Navalsah Chanderia, the Golapurvas originated from a place termed Goelgarh. It is also the view of Pt. Nathuram Premi and Pt. Munnalal Randheliya that the community originated from a place termed Golla. It has been identified as Gwalior or a town Golapur in Bundelkhand region, or a region termed Golladesh mentioned in a Shravanabelagola inscription. There exist two Jain communities named Golalare (Golarade in Sanskrit) and Golsinghare in Bhind/Itawa region which may be related. There is also a Brahmin community named Golapurab who are a branch of the Sanadhya Brahmins in Agra region who are stated to have originated from Gola village in Sanadhya Samhia (गोलाग्रामगताः केचित् गोलापूर्वाः).

Legends

A legendary account of the origin in is given in Navalsah Chanderia's "Vardhamana Purana" written in 1769 AD.[5] In this account the poet gives a history of the Golapurvas, then traces how own descent, his ancestor who lived at Chanderi in remote antiquity, gajaratha pratishta by his ancestors in 1634 AD at Bhelsi, and settlement of his ancestors at Khataura, where he was born. The temple built by his ancestors at Bhelsi still exists.

Navalsah Chanderia mentions that Lord Adinath visited at a place named "Goyalgarh", where the local residents took the shravaka vratas from him.

There is a tradition that the Golapurvas are descenants of the ancient Ikshvaku clan.[6] The inscription at Saurai of Sam. 1864 states that the builder of the temple Singhahi Mohandas belonged to Ikshvaku vamsha, gotra Padmavati of the Golapurva community and baink Chaneria. It is also mentioned in some inscriptions at Nainagir.

According to some of the pattavalis of Idar, Amber, Ater et. Mula Sangh Balatkar Gana Saraswati Gachha, Acharyas Gunanandi (sam. 353), Jambunandi (sam. 364) and Gunachandra (sam. 1048) were born in the Golapurva community.

In modern times Acharyas Devanandi [1] and Viragasagar, Upadhyaya Guptisagar, distinguished munis like Kshamasagar [2] and Aryikas like Vishuddhamati etc. were born in the Golapurva community.

Distribution

The Golapurvas is one of the best documented communities in India as a result of three complete censuses:

  1. 1914: Digambar Jain Directory, Thakurds Bhagavandas Javeri
  2. 1940: Golapurva Directory, Ed. Mohanlal Jain Kavyatirth
  3. 1996: Golapurva Jain Samaj: Itihas Evam Sarvekshana, Ed. Surendra Kumar Jain

The last publication includes a survey of 535 towns and villages with a total population of 35, 074 individuals.

Year Population Towns Adult Literacy
1914 10,834 - 54%
1941 12,569 428 57%
1996 35,074 535 100%

Golapurva Jain Monks

Distinguished Golapurva Jains

Historical

Early 20th century

Modern

See also

References

  1. ^ Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001
  2. ^ Kasturchand Jain Suman, Bharatiya Digambar Jain Abhilekh aur Tirth Parichay, Madhya-Pradesh: 13 vi shati tak, Delhi, 2001
  3. ^ Golapurva Directory, Ed. Mohanlal Jain Kavyatirth, 1940
  4. ^ Golapurva Jain Samaj: Itihas Evam Sarvekshana, Ed. Surendra Kumar Jain, 1996
  5. ^ य. कु. मलैया, वर्धमान पुराण के सोलहवें अधिकार का अध्ययन, अनेकान्त, अगस्त १९७४, , पृ ५८-६४
  6. ^ य. कु. मलैया, गोलापूर्व जाति के बारे में, अनेकान्त, मई १९७२, पृ ५८-६४