Introduction
Sonagiri Jain temples where Sonagiri literally means ‘golden peak’ are located at Sonagiri 60 kms near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. This place is considered very holy as millions of saints are said to have attained enlightenment here. Due to this it is very popular among monks and those who wish to practice self discipline, penances and austerities and realise the true goal of life namely enlightenment. This area covers two hills of 132 acres and is also referred to as Laghu Sammed Shikhar. There are said to be 77 Jain temples with high spires on the hill and many more temples in the village.
Main Temple and Idol
Temple No 57 is said to be the main temple on the hill and it is dedicated to the 8th Tirthankar Bhagavan Chandraprabhu. The main idol is 11 feet in height along with which two other idols of Tirthankars Lord Sheetalnath and Lord Parshvanath are also installed. There is a Manastambh(Column of Dignity) which is 43 feet high near the temple and an attractive model of Samavasaran(assembly hall where a Tirthankar preaches religious sermons to the people).
Other Temples
There are many temples in the village. At Kund Kund Nagar there is a colossus of Lord Bahubali in standing posture which is 18 feet in height below which is a hall for meditation. Attractive models of Nirvana Kshetras like Sammed Shikhar, Girnarji, Pavapur and Champapur have been constructed here. Separate temples have been built in all the Dharmashalas namely Bhagavan Shantinath who is the principle deity in Bhattarka Kothi, Bhagavan Ananthnath in Beespanthi Kothi, Bhagavan Parshvanath in Terapanthi Kothi, Bhagavan Chandraprabhu in Tyagi Vrati Ashram, Bhagavan Bahubali in Kund Kund Nagar and Bhagavan Chandraprabhu in Delhiwali Dharmashala.
How To Reach
By road:
Sonagiri lies on Datia-Gwalior road and there are good bus connections from Gwalior, Datia and Jhansi.
- Datia 15 kms
- Jhansi 45 kms
- Gwalior 60 kms
By train:
Sonagiri railway station lies on Agra Jhansi railway line . Trains are available from Gwalior, Datia and Jhansi.
By air:
Gwalior is the nearest airport.
Accommodation
At Delhiwali Dharmshala there are 20 normal rooms, 25 semi-deluxe rooms and 25 deluxe rooms. Mess facility and other required items like utensils, bed, tent etc. are available.
At Beespanthi Kothi there are 20 normal rooms, 15 semi-deluxe rooms and 15 deluxe rooms. Other required items like utensils, bed, tent etc. are available.
At Tyagi Vrati Ashram there are 10 normal rooms and 4 deluxe rooms.
At Terapanthi Kothi there are 30 normal rooms, 40 semi-deluxe rooms and 15 deluxe rooms. Mess facility and other required items like utensils, bed, tent etc. available.
At Kund-Kund Nagar there are 45 normal rooms and 45 deluxe rooms, Mess facility and other required items like utensils, bed, tent etc. are available.
Besides these there are three Jain mess halls which cater to the pilgrims.
Conclusion
The beautiful temples situated on the hills, the peace and solitude of the place and the fact that so many ascetics and monks have attained enlightenment here makes the place so holy and sublime that the faith and devotion of the pilgrims coming here increases and helps them in their efforts towards transcending the infinite cycles of birth and death and attaining bliss and enlightenment.
1. Wikipedia.com
2. Jaindharmonline.com
3. Jainteerth.org
4. Digambarjainonline.com
5. Bharatonline.com