Affiliation Jainism Website www.siddhachalam.org Phone +1 908-362-9793 | Festivals Mahavir Jayanti Date established 1983 Creator Sushil Kumar | |
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Location 65 Mud Pond Road, Blairstown, New Jersey, United States Address 111 Hope Rd, Blairstown, NJ 07825, USA Similar Mediterra Diner & Pizzeria, Applebee's, St Jude Church, Bodhi Monastery, Sri Venkates Temple | ||
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Siddhachalam is the first Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) located outside of India. Founded in 1983 by Acharya Sushil Kumarji, it is located on a 108-acre (44ha) site in rural New Jersey, United States. Siddhachalam (Hindi: siddha, liberated souls; achal, a permanent place, as a mountain) literally means the abode of liberated souls.
History
In 1980, Muni Sushil Kumar, a well-known Jain monk encouraged his disciples to acquire a long-abandoned children summer camp and founded an ashram there to teach ahimsa. A self-taught yogi, Muni Sushil Kumar reportedly engaged there in extended samadhi meditation. Twelve years later, he encouraged the community to establish temples in homage to Jinas. The ashram maintains the only Jain monastery outside India. Siddhachalam has become an important center of Jain conferences and an important Jain pilgrimage. The center houses idols from all Jain sects, given that American Jains have sought to not bring in sectarian differences from India.
In 2012, Siddhachalam became the site for the world's first full-scale, complete replication of Shikharji, the most important place of pilgrimage for the Jains. Shikharji at Siddhachalam is the first Jain place of pilgrimage outside India.
The main temple has idols of the tirthankaras Rishabha, Pārśva, Mahāvīra, Chandraprabha and Shantinath. There is also a small temple where the main idol is Pārśva.
The ashram is also a nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary.