Parshvanath Jain temple, Varanasi

Varanasi is as one of the most holiest Jain pilgrimage center and believed to be birthplace of four Tirthankar - Parshvanatha, Suparshvanatha, Chandraprabha and Shreyansanath. This is considered as one of the most holiest pilgrimage places.[1][2] Bhelpur is believed to be birthplace of Parshvanath, the 23rd Thirthankara,[3] hence, a place for three kalyanak - Chyavan, Janm, and Deeksha.[4][5][6] Mahavira also delivered sermons at Varanasi and Sarnath.[7]

Vividha Tirtha Kalpa, composed by Jinaprabha Suri in the 14th century CE, gives a detailed description of this temple.[8]

A beautiful temple dedicated to Parshvanath is built here. The mulnayak of this temple is a 75 centimetres (2.46 ft) black-coloured digambar idol of Parshvanatha dating back to 9th-11th century and a 60 centimetres (2.0 ft) white-coloured shvetambar idol of Parshvanatha.[2][5] It is located in Bhelapur about 5 km from the center of Varanasi city and 3 km from the Banaras Hindu University. It belongs to both sects of Jainism and is a holy tirtha or pilgrimage centre for Jains.[9]

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  Parshvanath digambar idol

• Hastinapur

• Cort, John E. (2001). Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-513234-2.
• Dodson, Michael S. (2021). Banaras: Urban Forms and Cultural Histories. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000365641.
• Eck, Diana L. (5 June 2013). Banaras: CITY OF LIGHT. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307832955.
• Singh, Rana (2009), Banaras: Making of India's Heritage City, Planet Earth & Cultural Understanding, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, ISBN 9781443815796
• Singh, Sarina (2010). India. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74179-151-8.
• Singh, Binay (25 August 2015). "4 Jain Tirthankaras born in Varanasi". Retrieved 18 November 2020.
• "Jain shrines". Uttar Pradesh Tourism.

• Media related to Bhelupur Jain temple at Wikimedia Commons