Shree Shankheshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple, Gummileru, India

4to40.com April 27, 2024 Religions in India 395 Views

Shree Shankheshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple is one of the Jain pilgrimage sites in Andhra Pradesh. This temple is in the East Godavari district, in a village called Gummileru, which is part of Rajahmundry revenue division.

Name:	Shree Shankheshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple
Location:	Gummileru Village, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh India
Deity:	–
Affiliation:	Jainism
Sect:	–
Completed In:	– century CE Mauryan Dynasty
Festival:	Mahavir Jayanti

History:

This idol, discovered while building a road around 30 years ago, was placed in a small room. Later, when pilgrims arrived, there was a need for larger premises. Thus the ‘Jeernodhara’ was completed. Ancient idols have been discovered in various locations nearby. Archaeologists believe that the ‘Moolnayak’ idol, which features lions on both sides, dates from Emperor Ashoka’s reign. The idol is so amazing that one can almost feel the presence of the Lord.

Architecture of the Temple:

This temple is noteworthy for its construction. The temple was built with opulent Rajasthani marble and no iron. The idols in this temple were discovered in 1977 during an excavation for the construction of National Highway 5.

When the local population began worshipping these deities, it was decided to build a beautiful temple to show them the respect they deserved. This is how the Shree Shankheshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple came to be established. The statues discovered here were those of the Tirthankaras, including Lord Parshwanath. The holy figures were represented sitting in the ‘Ardha-Padmasana’ mudra. These statues were dated and discovered to be over 2000 years old. They were supposed to have belonged to the Mauryan Dynasty, which dominated this region of India. This demonstrates Jainism’s growing status in India at the time.

The Jain Sangh played an important role in the construction of this temple. Great care was taken to guarantee that the temple was built on the exact same site as the find. Acharya Shri Jayantsen Surishwarji Maharaja restored the deities in 2006. Today, the temple sits peacefully in the midst of gorgeous, well-maintained gardens.

Temple Timings: Morning: 5:30 a.m.; evening: 8:30 p.m.

Importance: This temple, located 10 kilometers from Nellore on the Nellore-Chennai highway, features a 51-inch-tall idol of Shree Mahavir Swami Bhagwan.

How to Reach:

By road: Gummileru is a village in East Godavari district. It is located in Alamuru mandal of Rajahmundry revenue division. It is well connected with roads.
By train: Samalkot Railway Station
By airport: The nearest airport to the temple is Rajahmundry, which is about 50 km away.