Shri Atishaya Kshetra 1008 Sahastra Fani Parshvanatha Digambar Jain Mandir located in Bijapur in Karnataka is a Jain pilgrimage centre. It is an Atishaya Kshetra i.e. Place of Miracles. The temple is dedicated to Lord Parshvanatha.
History of Bijapur
According to history Bijapur is an ancient city. It was earlier known as Vijaipur. In the ancient times the city served as the main centre for the Jains. However, during the time of Bahmanies the city was named as Bijapur. With time the power and sway of the Jains in the city began to diminish. Bijapur is also regarded as the birth place of famous poet Shri Pump. He is credited with writing Pump Ramayana and Mallinath Puran. The later dealt with the life story of Lord Mallinath, the nineteenth Tirthankara. It was written in Kannada Language and is regarded as a great piece of art in the field of literature.
Temple of Sahastra Fani Parshvanatha
There are two temples in the city of Bijapur. Among them the Sahastra Fani Parshvanatha Mandir is older. This temple was discovered in the last 100 years. It is dedicated to the Jain Tirthankara, Lord Parshvanatha. This ancient temple is surrounded by a rampart. The idol of the Lord was found lying below ash and was unearthed and installed in the temple. The idol is said to possess miraculous powers and has been carved out of black stone. It is almost 5 feet in height and is seated in a padmasana posture. There is a speciality about the idol. When a drop of milk or water is poured on in any one of the serpent`s hood, it comes out through all the mouths. Thus the complete idol gets watered and showered. Apart from this idol a Choubeesee is also installed here. It is 3 feet in height and houses the principal deity Lord Parshvanatha. Another room of this temple is also dedicated to Lord Parshvanatha. The idol is black in colour. One more idol of Lord Mahavira is also installed here. This is also black in colour and is seated in padmasana posture. All these idols belong to 10th, 14th and 15th century. Other than this temple an old Adinath Temple is also located in the city. The idols of 11th to 20th century are installed in the temple. The temple has provisions for dharamshalas or rest houses for the pilgrims. These are equipped with all the modern facilities. A Hotel of Karnataka State Government `Adil Shahi Hotel` is also situated here.
Temple of Sahastra Fani Parshvanatha is well connected to road, rail and air. While travelling from Solapur to Bengaluru, Bijapur is the first district head quarter on N.H. 13. It is 90 km away from Solapur. Bijapur is also a main station on Solapur- Bengaluru Railway Line.
