Aharji Jain Teerth


Aharji Jain Teerth is a historical pilgrimage site for Jainism located in Aharji, Madhya Pradesh, on the road from Tikamgarh to Chhatarpur.

Aharji Jain Teerth

Aharji Jain Teerth is famous for the miraculous 18 feet monolithic idol of Lord in Kayotsarga posture.
The main temple is famous for the beautiful monumental image of Lord Shatinath from the Chandella period. Aharji was a major Jain center during the Chandella period. The inscriptions in this temple date back to 1180 CE. It was the last major temple to be built here in the Chandella period. Several other smaller temples were built here at the same time as the main temple.
Excavations have found a large number of Jain images that were installed here during 954CE to 1275 CE, spanning the reigns of six Chandella rulers. The inscriptions give the names of 32 separate Jain communities that had built these temples, including Golapurva, Parwar, Khandelwal, Golalare, Jaiswal etc.

Shantinath image inscription

The Shantinath image has a long inscription on it that mentions that two brothers, Jahad and Udaichandra, belonging to the Grahapati community, built the temple during the rule of Chandella ruler Paramardhi, who is well known as Raja Parmal in the popular ballad Alha-Khand. They were the descendants of the builders of the Sahasrakuta temple at Banpur, Lalitpur. The image was carved by a sculptor named Papat Trivedi. mentions that several Chandella inscriptions mentioning the Grahapati individuals have been found, and that they were noted for their significance and donations.

Gallery

Location

The place is located in Taluka – Baldeogarh, District – Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh, about 25 km from Tikamgarh. The management committee is Shri Digamber Jain Siddha Kshetra Aharji Prabandhakarini Samiti, Nearby Cities include Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur