Kothara, Kutch

Kothara is a village and an Jain pilgrimage center located in Abdasa Taluka of Kutch district of Gujarat, India.

History

Kothara was an estate (jagir) founded during the reign of Godaji (1715-1718), when Godaji, the ruler of Cutch State, gave the Mundra estate to his brethren Haloji. Haloji founded towns of Kothara, Kotri and Nagrachi.[1]

In past, the village had sizable community of traders who lived in Zanzibar and Mumbai. The village has several houses, with rich architecture, belonged to these traders.[2]

Shantinath Jain temple

The Jain temple dedicated to Shantinath, the sixteenth Tirthankara, was completed in 1861 (on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month of Magh in Vikram Samvat 1918) which was considered the richest temple of Kutch then. The temple cost £40,000, one-half was given by Shah Velji Malu and the other in equal shares by Shah Keshavji Nayak and Shivji Nensi; Osval Vanias of Kothara; living in Bombay. It was styled after the Jain temple in Ahmedabad, built by Kutch workmen under the superintendence of Salat Nathu of Sabhrai.[2] The Shantinath statue was formally installed by Acharya Ratnasagarsuri of Achal Gacchha. The writer of the poem ‘Keshavji Nayak’ on the Palitana temples, was a native of this place. This temple is also named ‘Kalyan Tunk’. This chief temple is compared to the Meruprabha temple.[3][4] One of main architects of these centuries old beautiful Jain temples were Mistris of Kutch.[5][6]

Around this temple, there is a high fort with five cells. The gate is 12 feet high and 6 feet broad.

Through a very rich two-storied entrance gate, an outer yard surrounded by buildings set apart for the use of priests, opens into a walled quadrangle with a shrine in each wall. In the centre of the quadrangle, on a plinth six feet nine inches high reached by a flight of fifteen steps, is the temple, 78 feet long 69 wide and 731⁄2 high, supported on three sides by rich two-storied domed porches. The domed hall, mandap rises in two stories, and over the shrine is a spire with richly carved figure niches and moldings.[2]

Inside, the hall, mandap, surrounded by aisles or verandahs, with a richly designed pavement of different coloured marbles, has twenty- two pilasters, and sixteen pillars, and a dome supported on eight pillars with foiled arches and struts. Inside of a wall, chiefly formed of twenty pillars richly carved with flowers, leaves and creepers, is the shrine; where, supported on either side by seven small figures, is a large image of Shantinath crowned with a golden crown, and seated cross-legged on a richly carved marble throne. The upper story of the hall, reached by stone steps from the south-west porches, has a corridor with rich shrines each containing a large marble sitting image. Below the hall there is an underground shrine, with about twenty-five large white marble figures with precious stones let into the eyes, chests, and arms. Besides the underground shrine there is a secret collar especially prepared against a time of trouble. [2]

Geology

Kothara lies in hot, arid and dry region of Kutch. The Arabian Sea is on its west and Rann of Kutch on north.

Connectivity

Bhuj, the nearest railway station and airport at a distance of 80 kilometers, Suthari, the nearest sacred place is at a distance of 12 kilometers and Mandvi is at a distance of 58 kilometers. Buses and taxis are available.

Gallery

<gallery caption="Kothara and Jain Temple"=widths="100px" heights="100px" perrow="6"> File:Main Gate to Kothara.JPG|Gate of Kothara village. File:Shri Shantinath Jain Derasar, Kothara, Kutch.JPG|Shantinath Jain Derasar File:Entrance to Jain Temple.JPG|Entrance to Jain Temple File:Carving outside Jain Temple.JPG|Carving outside Jain Temple File:Inside the Jain Temple - Colourful and artistic.JPG|Carving inside the Jain Temple File:Picturesque of Lord.JPG|Picturesque inside temple dome. File:Late Shri Kunvarji Narshi Lodaya (Patel).jpg| Kunvarji Narshi Lodaya - local philanthropist. File:At Glance visit to 5 sacred places.JPG|A map of Abdasa ni Panchtirthi - five Jain temples of Abdasa Taluka. </gallery>

References

  1. ↑ He resumed certain crown grants, e. g., the estate of Mundra given to Haloji, the son of Pragmalji’s eldest brother Noghanji, Kanthi and Anjari Chovisi. Haloji, unable to oppose, retired to Abdasa and there founded the towns of Kothara, Kotri and Nagarchi.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Cutch, Palanpur, and Mahi Kantha. Printed at the Government Central Press. 1880. p. 231-232.
  3. ↑ Kothara Tirth
  4. ↑ Shri Kothara Derasar @ the KOTHARA NALIAYA of ABADASA KUTCH.
  5. ↑ Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi (1999) by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank - Vadodara ( Book given Kutch Shakti award in 2000 at Bombay )
  6. ↑ Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya Samaj : A brief History & Glory : by Raja Pawan Jethwa, Calcutta. (2007) Calcutta.pp 28.

Coordinates: 23°07′59″N 68°55′55″E / 23.133°N 68.932°E / 23.133; 68.932

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