| Rikhabdeo | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Rajasthan |
| District(s) | Udaipur |
| Population | 8,023 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Jainism | |
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Jainism Portal |
Rikhabdeo (ऋषभदेव)(modern spelling is Rishabhdeo) is a census town in Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Rishabhadeoji is situated 65 km from Udaipur and is on Udaipur-Ahmedabad Road. The name of the town is Dhulev (धुलेव), however it is better known as Rishabhadeo. It is a well known pilgrim site. The main attraction is the temple of Rishabhadeoji, the first Jain tirthankara. Local Bhils also worship the deity. Lord Rishabhadeo is also Kesariaji because a large offering of saffron (Keshar, a common ingredient in Jain rituals) is made to the deity.
This temple was considered to be one of the four main religious institutions of Mewar, ruled by the Sisodia Maharanas of Udaipur,[1] as stated by Chatur Singhji Bavji:
It has been a famous Jain pilgrimage center. The famous Arati by Mulchand refers to this temple [2]:
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The main idol of this temple is shwetambar Lord Rishabh Dev carved in black stone in padmasana posture about 3.5 feet tall. Long hair of idol touch the shoulders. Two oxen are carved in the center of simhasana (platform) of the main idol, which also has 16 dreams of the mother of Tirthankar. Surrounding the main deity, there are 23 idols, 2 standing & 21 seated, in an ashtadhatu (composed of eight metals) parikar. In the north and south sides of the Khela Mandapa of the temple, idols of Tirthankaras Vasupujya, Mallinath, Neminath, Parshvanath & Mahavir Swami (collectively referred to as Panch-Balayati) are installed.[3]
There are 52 secondary ornate shrines (devakulikas) of the Tirthankaras.
Elephants carved of black stone stand at the entrance of the temple. On the north is the image of Goddess Chakreshvari and on the southern side an image of goddess Padmavati
The structure and architecture of Idols and Temple shows clearly that its a Digamber Jain Temple, but since All Hindu castes and Jain sects are offering prayers here since long time, the management of the temple is done by state Government.
A Jain Bhattarak seat had existed at Rishabhdeo until the 20th century. Their memorials are marked by foot-prints. The footprints are present besides the elephant statues. Outside of the village foot-prints of Bhattaraka Chandrakirti and other Bhattarakas mark their memorials at Suraj Kund.
The Bhattarakas managed the temple for until they were removed by the Maharana who appointed a committee of some Brahmins and Shwetambara Jains for administration.
The temple has a long history.[4] The temple has about 65 inscriptions in the building and on several of the Tirthankara idols.[5]
The most famous of these inscriptions is known to Western scholars as The Legend of Zagreus:
According to Caroline Humphrey,[7] the temple was founded in the ninth century by Digambar Jains.
There is a 1376 (samvat 1431) inscription on the temple wall that mentions that Punja and Kota, sons of Shah Harda had the structure built as a result of the preachings of Bhattaraka Dharmakirti of Kashtha Sangh. That is when the garbhagriha and the khela mandap was constructed.
The compound wall was constructed in 1806 by a merchant Dhanji Karanji of Sagwada. There is a long inscription in Sanskrit/Hindi that mentions Bhimsingh as the ruler. It gives a spiritual lineage of the Bhatarakas of Mula Sangh mentioning Kundakunda, Sakalkirti up to the reigning Bhattaraka Yashkirti, who blessed the construction. Names of the family of Sanghi Dhanji Karanji of Humbad community, of Kamaleshvar gotra, are also given.
The nakkarkhana (drum tower) was built in 1832. The smaller shrines (devakulika) were constructed later.
The names of the Bhattarakas mentioned in the inscriptions include:
Amitesh Kumar comments on the historical significance:
Udaipur became the capital of the Sisodias in 1559. The revival of the fortunes of the Sisodias was made possible by the Jain ministers like Bhamashah who provided funds to reestablish the Maharanas after they had to leave Chittor. The Because of significant Jain influence, the Maharanas became devotees of Lord Rishabh and worshipped here. They also made gifts to the temple.
The Bhattarakas accepted the royal support. They also permitted Swetambaras to use Swetambara rituals in Sam. 1702 for the main idol. However in Sam. 1842, the Swetambaras obtained rights of Swetambara rituals on four other idols with the support of the Maharana.
Sometime after the building of the compound wall built by the Digambaras in Sam 1863, the Maharana expelled the Digambara Bhattarakas from the temple, and took over the temple. He appointed Brahmin priests to worship at the temple, and created a committee that included the Shvetambara Jains, but excluded the Digambaras. Gradually Vaishnava rituals like Bhagavat Katha and annakuta were introduced by the Brahmin priests.
Maharana Fateh Singh (1884–1930) presented a jewel-studded angi (coat) to the temple which is used on special occasions costing one lakh rupees.[9]
The administration was handed over to the government after India's independence.
The Digambara Bhattarakas built other temples in Dhulev, and continued the Bhattaraka seat at Rishabhadeo. The last Bhattaraka Yashakirti was conscecretated by his guru Kshemakirti in 1917 AD. He died in 1978. His funeral memorial is on the Chandragiri hill.[10]
The nature of the temple has been in issue between Digambers, Swetambers and other Hindus. However, the Supreme Court of India in its judgment delivered in 'The State of Rajasthan & Ors. Vs. Shri Sajjanlal Panjawat & Ors. [reported as (1974) 1 SCC 500]' has, after considering the material produced, decided that it is a 'Jain temple' [see para 12 at Pg. 509/510 SCC]. However, since the right to manage the said temple had been taken over by the State of Mewar before promulgation of the Indian Constitution, therefore, Jains had no right to manage the temple after the Indian Constitution came into force and for that reason, it was held, that the jains had no right to protect under Article 25/26 of the Indian Constitution. The issue of management of the said tample was again cropped up and Digambers, Swetambers, Hindus and the State of Rajasthan again brought the matter in the Supreme Court of India claiming to have the right to manage the temple but this time on the strength of 'Rajasthan Public Trust Act' which says that those temples to which chapter X of the said Act is applicable would be managed by a Committee constituted from the persons interested in the management. That case was decided by a Bench of the Indian Supreme Court and Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.B. Sinha and Hon'ble Mr. Justice Markandey Katju vide judgment dated January 4, 2007 delivered in Civil Appeal No.4092-95 of 2002 titled as Deewan Singh & Ors. vs. Rajendra Prasad ARdevi & Ors. and other connected Civil Appeals, confirmed the judgment of Single Judge (which was modified by the Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court)and ordered that the management of the said Temple be handed over to the committee as envisaged under Section 53 of the 'Rajasthan Public Trust Act' within four months.
Recent Supreme Court decision to hand over the administration to the Jain community [11] had led to protests and violence by the local tribals,.[12][13] Frontline reported that [14]:
Gulabchand Kataria, the home minister of Rajasthan believes that the tribals were incited by some elements.[15] Dainik Navjyoti [16] had reported on 14 February that
Bhaskar reported the anonymous pamphlets were distributed among the tribals to incite them.[17] The violence erupted on 7 February, when the tribal leaders had declared a "Mahapadav". Several hundred tribals attacked the members of the Jain community and destroyed theirs shops, houses, cars etc. The police were unbale to contain the destruction even after the use of tear gas and rubber bullets. One person was killed in the police firing.
There is pressure being put on the state government not to implement the Supreme Court decision.[18] This is causing alarm in the Jain community.
As of 2001[update] India census,[19] Rikhabdeo had a population of 8023. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Rikhabdeo has an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 70%. In Rikhabdeo, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. Right now around 500 students are going to out side the rishbhdeo for higher education such as mbbs,b.tech.,b.com.,c.a.and many courses.
About half the residents of the town are Jain, 95% belonging to the Digambara and onother half Brahmin,suthar,lohar,tailor,mochi,kumhar,somupura and other casts are here form many year. Many bhil and meena valleges are surrounding the rishabhdeo and they comes every day at rishbhdeo for prayer, sect[20] belonging to Bispanthi Narsingpura and Humad communities. A small group of Svetambaras arrived about a hundred years ago.
rishabhdeo is also famous for green marble .its having a more than 300 marble mines in massaor ki obri and odavas kagder. 90% percent green marble of around the world producing by rishabhdeo. 70% percent marble of the rishabhdeo is export to USA, UAE, Canada and many countries
Nearby places worth visiting include Pagyaji, Chandragiri, Bhim Pagalya, Bhattarak Kirti Bhavan and the Peepli temple.
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