A 1000-year-old and 4.5 ft tall stone statue of 23rd Jain Teerthankar Parshavnath found immersed in Yamuma

Lucknow, March 15, 2017: Some fisherman in Kaushambi discovered a 4.5 ft tall stone statue of 23rd Jain Teerthankar Parshavnath in the Yamuna which was assumed to be about 1000-year-old. The finding buttresses the evidence that the area was a pivotal hub for the Jains for eons. The statue has now been kept at the popular Jain temple in Kaushambi.

It was revealed that some fisherman at Gurbuj Ghat in Gadhwa Kosam Inam village cast their net to catch fish. When they pulled out the net, a large statue was discovered. Finding it irrelevant they left the statue at the ghat itself which was later noticed by local folks. The villagers notified priest of Prabhashgiri Jain temple Dinesh Jain who identified the statute, mentioned HT.

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Responding on the matter, historian Ranish Jain announced that Kaushambi was one of the most biblical Jain sites where the sixth Jain Teerthankar was born. Mahaveer Swami had also meditated here. A story in Jain text 'Avashyak Sutra' suggests that a Jain nun Chandanbala who was sold to a rich man of Kaushambi was later provided food to Mahaveer Swami and became a nun.

Prof of Ancient History at Allahabad University DP Dubey stated the statue may be of 12th century BC. A Large number of members of the Jain community once populated the Pali village in the area.

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Jain religion has an important place in the history of Kaushambi. There is a small museum at Phabhosa village in the district where Jain statues belonging to 9th and 10th centuries are preserved. There may be a temple of Parshavnath on the banks of the Yamuna from where the statue was immersed in the river said the Director of Allahabad Museum Rajesh Purohit.

– Prepared by Naina Mishra of Newsgram, Twitter @Nainamishr94