Jainism in Pakistan
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Uday DokrasJainism in Pakistan
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Uday DokrasJainism in Pakistan has an extensive heritage and history, with several ancient Jain shrines
scattered across the country. Baba Dharam Dass was a holy man whose tomb is located near
the bank of a creek called (Deoka, Deokay, or Degh) near Chawinda Phatic, behind the
agricultural main office in Pasrur, near the city of Sialkot in Punjab, Pakistan. Another
prominent Jain monk of the region was Vijayanandsuri of Gujranwala,
whose samadhi (memorial shrine) still stands in the city.
The presence of Pakistani Jains in modern Pakistan is unclear. Prior to 1947, there
were Punjabi, Marwadi and Gujarati communities of Jains in the Punjab and Sindh regions.
All of them migrated to India during the partition in 1947, thus ending the thousands of years
of presence of jainism in the region.
Bhabra (or Bhabhra) is an ancient merchant community from Punjab which mainly
follows Jainism.
The original home region of the Bhabras is now in Pakistan. While practically all the Bhabras
have left Pakistan, many cities still have sections named after Bhabras.
Sialkot: All the Jains here were Bhabra and mainly lived in Sialkot and Pasrur. The Serai
Bhabrian and Bhabrian Wala localities are named after them. There were several Jain
temples here before partition of India.
Pasrur: Pasrur was developed by a Jain zamindar who was granted land by Raja Maan
Singh. Baba Dharam Dass belonged to the zamindar family who was murdered on a
trading visit.
Gujranwala: Two old Jain libraries managed by Lala Karam Chand Bhabra were present
here which were visited by Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar.
Lahore: There were Jain temples at localities still called Thari Bhabrian and Gali
Bhabrian.
Rawalpindi: Bhabra Bazar is named after them.
Mianwali: A well known cast still present in majority there nowadays.
Some also lived in Sindh.
Portrait of an unknown Jain Bhabra merchant in Lahore, ca.1859–69
Jain temples
Approximately 14 Jain temples are scattered throughout the region.
Gori Temple
Frescoes at the Gori Temple are the oldest existing Jain frescoes in the world. [1] The Gori
Temple features several domes and canopies.
The Gori Temple is located approximately 14 miles northwest of the Viravah The temple was
built in 1375-1376 CE in a Gujarati-style, and features 3 mandaps with 52 Islamic-
style domes. The temple measures 125 feet by 60 feet, and is built of marble. The entire
temple is built on a high platform that is reached by a series of steps carved into stone
The interiors of the temple feature finely carved marble pillars. The canopy which offers
entrance to the temple is decorated with paintings that represent Jain mythology. The
frescoes at Gori temple are the oldest Jain frescoes in existence in the northern portion of the
Indian subcontinent.
24 small cells are found throughout the temple, which may have been used to house
representations of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism.
Significance
For several centuries, the temple at Goripur was a celebrated Jain tirtha. The temple is
notable amongst local Hindus as well for its image of Parasnath.
An account of its building is contained in "Gaudi Parshvanath Stavan" by Pritivimala,
composed in Samvat 1650 and "Shri Gaudi Parshvanath Stavan" written by Nemavijaya in
Samvat 1807. According to Muni Darshanvijaya, it was installed by Seth Godidas of
Jhinjhuvad and was consecrated by Acharya Hemachandra at Patan in Samvat 1228. It was
brought to Patan and was buried underground for safekeeping during a period of disturbance.
It was rediscovered in 1375-76 and was stored in the stable of the local ruler.
According to the texts, a merchant 500 years ago named Manga Oswal from Nagarparkar had
gone to Pattan to purchase some items. He was informed in a dream that an image was
buried under the house of a local Muslim that Oswal was instructed to acquire. Oswal bought
the image by paying 125 dramma or 500 pieces (taka), and was instructed in another dream to
place the image on a cart and to move forward without looking back.The cart is said to have
broken down near Nagarparkar, where Oswal then fell asleep. In his next dream, he was
informed that underneath him lay marble and treasure, and instructed him to recruit
craftsmen to build a fine temple in which to worship the idol, which was bestowed with the
name Gori. The temple's construction was supervised by an architect from Sirohi, while
the shikhar of the temple was completed by his son Mahio. The image was formally
reconsecrated by Acharya Merutunga Suri of Anchala Gachchha, thus establishing the Gori
Parshvanth Tirth, and the temple as a place of pilgrimage for Jains from afar.
The image is said to have disappeared in .The temple was visited by Stanley Napier Raikes in
1854, who met local Jains to compile recent history and consulted Goorjee Kuntvujajee who
had manuscripts describing the history of the temple. The temple was damaged by British
troops who tried to capture a Sodha chief who had led a local rebellion.
Nagarparkar Bazaar Temple
The Nagarparkar Bazaar temple
The Nagarparkar Bazaar Temple was built main bazar of the Nagarparkar town. The
temple is remarkable for its intricately carved sculptures and paintings. The structure of the
temple, including its shikhara and the torana gateway is completely intact. It was in use until
the independence of Pakistan in 1947, and perhaps for some years even after that.
Bhodesar Temples
The Bhodesar Temple is at the base of the Karoonjhar Mountains.
Bhodesar, 4 miles from Nagar, features the ruins of three Jain temples. Bhodesar was the
region's capital during Sodha rule. Two of the three temples were used as cattle sheds, while
the third was noted in 1897 to be in disrepair with holes in the back. An ancient water tank,
known as Bhodesar Talao, was also built in the nearby hills.
The oldest temple, was built in the classical style with stones without any mortar, built
around the 9th century CE, by a Jain woman named Poni Daharo. It is built on a high
platform and reached by a series of steps carved into the rock. It has beautifully carved huge
stone columns and other structural elements. The remaining walls are unstable and partially
collapsed. Parts of the building had been dismantled by the locals who used the bricks to
construct their homes.
The two other Jain temples are said to have been built in 1375 CE and 1449 CE, built
of kanjur and redstone, with fine carvings and corbelled domes.
Viravah Jain Temples
The Viravah site is home to an abandoned, but well-
preserved, temple.
The Viravah Temples were 3 temples that are located near the town of Viravah, about 15
miles north of Nagarparkar. The site is near the ruins of the ancient seaport of Parinagar on
the edge of the Rann of Kutch. The area once had three temples, which are said to have been
founded in 456 CE by Jeso Parmāra. One of the temples was in use during the British era,
and is well-preserved and made of white marble. Another temple had a block of finely
carved marble which was transferred to the Karachi Museum during the British era. The
third ruined temple has 26 small domes surrounding a large central dome measuring 18 feet
in diameter. The central dome features fine stone tracing. It contains carved stone pillars with
carved capitals.
During construction of a nearby road, workers accidentally discovered numerous Jain
statues, which were then placed by locals in the remaining abandoned temple, while others
were taken to the museum in Umerkot. Archaeology and Museums. The Endowment Fund
Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh, in 2008, has undertaken restoration works at
the site using private funding. The landscape was submitted by the Pakistani government in
2016 to be inscribed on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2016.
