Champapuri, Champa Nagri or Champanagar is a neighbourhood in Bhagalpur in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the site of the ancient city of Champa, the capital of the Anga Mahajanapada. It is also the main centre of capital of cultural region of Anga.

Shri Champapuri Tirth
Champapuri Mural at Krishnabai temple, Shri Mahavirji
Religion
AffiliationJainism
DeityVasupujya
FestivalsMahamastakabhisheka, Mahavir Jayanti
Location
LocationBhagalpur City, Bihar
Champapuri is located in Bihar
Champapuri
Location within Bihar
Geographic coordinates25°14′14.7″N 86°56′30.1″E / 25.237417°N 86.941694°E / 25.237417; 86.941694
Temple(s)12

Champapuri is claimed to be the only place where all the five kalyanas- garbha, janma, diksha, kevalagnana and moksha kalyana of Bhagwan Vasupujya took place. It is said that Bhagawan Adinatha, Bhagwan Parshwanatha and Bhagawan Mahavira had their monsoon stay at this place. Bhagawan Mahavira had his third and twelfth monsoon stay at this place. There is an idol of Bhagavan at the temple.[1][2]

An ancient temple of Champanala is seen at this place.[3]

Significance

edit

Champapuri is also believed to be birthplace of Vasupujya, the twelfth tirthankara.[4][5][6]

Teerthankara Adinath divided the country into 52 Janapadas; of these one was Anga and its capital was The chief pupil - Pattadhara of Tirthankara Mahavir Sudharmaswami and Jambuswami also came here.The fervent devotees of Shri Mahavira - Shravaka Kamadeva, Sudarshan Sheth, emperor Shripala and Satee Chandanbala were also born here.[7]

According to Aupapatika Sutra (c. 1st-2nd century CE)[8][9] forms part of the 12 Jain upanga āgamas as per Śvetámbara tradition, a holy garden Purnabhadra Chaitya was situated to the north-east of this ancient city. When Mahavira visited Champa he is said to have lodged at this chaitya.[10]

Many Jain ascetics, like Muni Dharmaghosh, Muni Padmarath, Ashok and Anchal, attained salvation there, as it was a Siddhakshetra An ancient temple of Champanala is seen at this place.[11]

Archaeology

edit

The ancient city had an occupation of the Northern Black Polished Ware culture (700-200 BCE), with a surrounding fortification and moat.[12] It was a notable centre of trade and commerce.[13]

Statue Of Vasupujya

edit

In 2014, the tallest statue of Bhagawan Vasupujya was built and donated by Smt Sona Devi Sethi Charitable Trust based at Dimapur, Nagaland. The statue is 31 feet in height and the stone for the statue was brought all the way for Karnataka.[14][15]

References

edit

Citation

edit
  1. ^ "Champapur Jain Tirth @ HereNow4U".
  2. ^ "CHAMPAPURI TIRTH – the Jainsite World's Largest Jain Website".
  3. ^ "Champapuri". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  4. ^ Burgess 1874, p. 136.
  5. ^ Dalal 2010, p. 369.
  6. ^ Balfour 1885, p. 402.
  7. ^ "108 Jain Tirth Darshanawali".
  8. ^ JaineLibrary, Anish Visaria. "Search, Seek, and Discover Jain Literature". jainqq.org. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Aupapatika Sutra".
  10. ^ Shah 1987, p. 15.
  11. ^ "Champapuri". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  12. ^ Singh 2008, pp. 384.
  13. ^ Singh 2008, p. 262.
  14. ^ Sarkar 2014.
  15. ^ Hindustan team 2017.

Sources

edit
edit