Mahudi Jain Teerth is a Jain pilgrimage centre in Gujarat. Mahudi is a small village located near the Sabarmati River. Earlier the place was known as Madhupuri. The principal idol of the temple is Lord Padmaprabha.
History of Mahudi Jain Teerth
According to the history of Mahudi Jain Teerth the idols and artistic remains have been discovered from underneath the earth. This suggests that the place is nearly 2000 years old. Many inscriptions have been found in the Brahmi script. In the year 1974 a beautiful idol of Lord Padmaprabha, was reinstalled in the newly built temple by Acharya Shrimad Buddhisagarji M.S. Gurudev of the Vikram Samvat Era. In the year 1980 an ancient idol of Ghantakarna Mahavira was formally installed in the temple by the same Acharya.
Temple of Mahudi Jain Teerth
The temple of Mahudi houses the idol of Ghantakarna Mahavira. It is said to have miraculous power. Lord Ghantakarna Mahavira was a Kshatriya king. His name was Mahabal. He always had bow and arrows and undertook the responsibility of protecting the honour of women and unmarried girls from robbers. He also protected the religion of the people. He liked the sounds of bell and also had Bell shaped ears. He was thus called as `Ghant (Bell) Karna (Ears).` He was also fond of Sukhadi in his earlier birth. Thus Sukhadi is offered to him in the temple. The prasad is also offered to the devotees and it is consumed within the temple premises. Ghantakarna Mahavirdev always helps those who have faith in him.
Devotees from far off places visit and offer their worship to Lord Ghantakarna Mahavira. It is believed that the Lord fulfils the wishes of the devotees. On the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Aso, every year, the ceremony of charitable offering is celebrated in the Jain way in the temple of Ghankakarna Mahavir.
It is said that many years back Shrimad Buddhisagarji Maharaj Saheb has seen a tortoise passing in this barren land. Considered it as a good sign he took the decision of building Mahudi teerth here. When Jains began visiting the place he felt that a temple needs to be built here. He began practicing hard meditation for 3 days and with his vital powers he assessed Shri Ghantakarna Mahavir Dev `pratyaksha` through `havan` fire. He immediately drew his image. Later an idol was made from a river side rock. BuddhiSagar Maharaj Sahebji made the idol lively by putting "Pran" (Lively Power) into it.
Apart from this, there are many other temples located here. The other idol of the temple Bhagawan Padmaprabha is 53 cms in height and is white in colour. The idol is seated in the Padmasana posture. The Gurumandir with the idol of Acharya Shrimad Buddhisagarji is situated here. A similar idol was first placed at Vijapur Jain Temple where he was cremated.
Many artistic idols or ancient remains are seen there. The artistic and sculptural models in the Kotyark temple, give an idea of the antiquity of this place. The 130 cms high idol of Lord Shantinath in the Padmasama posture is made of five mental and it has radium eyes. It is very miraculous and wonderful. It is also called an idol of Keshariyaji. In the temple on the hill, there is a 106 cms high, white-coloured, delightful idol of Lord Ajitnath in the Kayotsarga posture. At such lonely places Buddhisagarsuyrishvarji worshipped God.
The nearest railway station of Vijapur is 10 kilometres away. There are very good facilities of bus service and private vehicles for going to this sacred place on the Kalol Vijapur road near Ahmedabad. There are good board and lodging provisions.