Neha Patil (Editor)

Kamthana

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Country
  
India

District
  
Bidar

Time zone
  
IST (UTC+5:30)

State
  
Karnataka

Talukas
  
Bidar

Population
  
9,634 (2001)

Kamthana

Weather
  
28°C, Wind N at 10 km/h, 29% Humidity

Kamthana (Kannada: ಕಮಠಾಣಾ aka Kambithana) is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Bidar taluk of Bidar district in Karnataka. Kamthana ancient village, Jain Tirtha(pilgrimage) is about 10 km from Bidar, famous for the historical Parshavanth Tirthankara Jain temple. The annual three-day car festival held every year mostly in the month of February.

Contents

Millad un nabi jation kamthana bidar


History

During 753 A.D Rashtrakuta prince Dantidurga proclaimed himself the sovereign power and Manyakheta (Malkhed) as Capital, built Jain temple. Nishidhis, inscriptions indicates the act of sallekhana are found in and around Kamthana. Kamthana means a place of forgiveness.

Parshavanatha Teerthankara Jain temple

Kamthana Jainism centre, by Jain munis and shravaks choose this place to seek salvation through sallekhana. Srivatsa (North Indian tradition), is a diamond-shaped mark on the chest of the Parshvanath. Parshvanath Tirthankara idol is about 115-cm tall and 55-cm wide, in the paryankasana style, sheltered under a seven-hooded serpent, it was installed about 900 years back. A small lamp burns day and night in the cave. The light of the lamp is reflected in 1,000 mirrors plastered on to the wall.

Discovery of Idol

The temple was part of a famous gurukul. For centuries, it provided students with religious and secular education free of cost. But the gurukul and the temple were neglected for over a century during the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad. A Jain muni, Sri Shruta Sagar, rediscovered it in 1987. He began work on renovating the temple and organised an annual rath yatra, says Vijay Kumar Jain, Secretary of the Bidar Jain Milan. The temple trust is planning to revive the gurukul. The building plans are ready and donors have come forward to adopt students, he said.

"The temple was just a cave when the muni found it. It had a 1,100-year-old, life-size black stone statue of Sri Parshwanath, the 23rd Thirthankara. The muni told us that students and teachers of the gurukul used the cave to meditate. We shifted the statue to the first floor. We renovated the cave and built a Shikhara. That is why the temple has three floors," explains Shantinath, the head priest.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Kamthana had a population of 9634 with 4956 males and 4678 females.

References

Kamthana Wikipedia