Shri Loadhan Parshvnath Shwetamber Jain Tirth, Dabhoi,Vadodara,Gujarat

One of the 108th Temples of Parshvanath across India. Built pre independence era. Nearby Vadodara (Dhaboi).

Shri Lodhan Parshwanath.  Lodhan Parshwanath.

Mulnayak

Sheetalnath Bhagwan. In the basement of this temple, there is a 120 cms. highblack – coloured idol of Bhagwan Lodhan Parshvanath in the semi – Padmasana posture. There is an umbrella of 7 hoods over the head of the idol.

Historicity

The history of this splendid and artistic idol is very interesting. Sagardutt Shreshti used to go from village to village for doing business. Once he came to the city of Darbhavati and halted here as Chaturmas was starting. He had a vow to have food only after doing Pooja of Thirthankar Parmatma. So, on the advice of his mother, he got an alluring idol of Parshvanath Bhagwan made of sand and got it installed in his home temple. He used to worship this idol daily with great faith and devotion. On the completion of the Chaturmas, he had to return to his hometown. So, he put this idol in a well in the centre of the city. After a few years, Sagardutt came to Darbhavati again for business. In the middle of the night he had a dream where a divine voice told him to take out the idol of Bhagwan Parshvanath from the well where he had put it. In the morning, he asked the people of the Jain community to help him to take out the idol from the well. The idol was successfully taken out from the well in a sieve attached to threads by young unmarried girls. (Kunwari kanya). The idol was placed in a bullock cart without anyone guiding the cart and the cart started moving. It was decided that the temple will be built where the cart stopped. A temple was built and the idol was installed in it. This idol made of sand remained in deep waters for a long time but not a single particle of sand came out of place and the idol became as hard as iron. Hence this idol came to be known as “Lodhan Parshvanath”. This idol is more than 600 years old. This temple was lastly renovated in the year 1990 of the Vikram era. As this idol of Bhagwan Parshvanath is made of sand (velu), this idol is also known as “Shri Velu Parshvanath”. The leading Upadhyay Yashovijayaji Saheb attained the lotus feet of the Lord here in the year 1743 of the Vikram era. This is a very miraculous idol and miracles keep happening here. A lady who was doing Chaityavandan of this influential idol of Bhagwan Lodhan Parshvanath with great faith and devotion was blessed with the Darshan of Dharnendra Dev (Nagdev).

Scripture

A mention of Lodhan Parshvanath is made in “365 Shri Parshva Jin Naammala”, in “Shri Sankheswar Parshvanath Chaand”, in “Shri Bhateva Parshvanath Stavan”, in “108 Naam Garbhit Shri Godi Parshvanath Stavan”, in “Shri Parshvanath Sankhya Stavan”, in “Shri Parshvanath Chaitya Paripati”, in “Shri Parshvanath Naammala”, in “135 Naam Garbhit Shri Parshvanath Stavan”, in “108 Naam Garbhit Shri Parshvanath Stavan” etc. There is an idol of Lodhan Parshvanath in Shri Kalikund Parshvanath temple in Santacruz, Mumbai.

Very beautiful idol of Shri Lodhan Parshwanath dada, the 23rd tirthankar in Jainism. 1 of the 108 Parshwanath. Located in Dabhoi. There is another idol, that comes under 108 Parshwanath, nearby known as Shri Pragat Prabhavi Parshwanath. Do visit Dabhoi for these 2 ancient idols.