Siddhachalam
First Jain pilgrimage site located outside of India
40°57′17″N 74°57′07″W / 40.95478°N 74.95188°W / 40.95478; -74.95188
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Siddhachalam is the first Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site) located outside of India. Founded in 1983 by Sushil Kumar, it is located on a 108-acre (44ha) site in rural New Jersey, United States.[1] Siddhachalam (Hindi: siddha, liberated souls; achal, a permanent place, as a mountain) literally means the abode of liberated souls.
History
In 1980, Sushil Kumar encouraged his disciples to acquire a long-abandoned children's summer camp and founded an ashram there to teach ahimsa. Kumar reportedly engaged there in extended samadhi meditation.[1] Twelve years later, he encouraged the community to establish temples in homage to Jinas. The ashram maintains the only Jain monastery outside India.[2] Siddhachalam has become an important center of Jain conferences and an important Jain pilgrimage.[3] The center houses idols from all Jain sects, given that American Jains have sought to not bring in sectarian differences from India.[4]
In 2012, Siddhachalam became the site for the world's first full-scale, complete replication of Shikharji, the most important place of pilgrimage for the Jains. Shikharji at Siddhachalam is the first Jain place of pilgrimage outside India.[5]
The main temple has marble idols of the tirthankaras Rishabha, Pārśva, Mahāvīra, Chandraprabha and Shantinatha.[1] There is also a small temple where the main idol is Pārśva.
The ashram is also a nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary.[6]
See also
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References
Citations
- ^ a b c Richardson 2014, p. 162.
- ^ Allen Richardson, E. (10 January 2014). Strangers in This Land. McFarland. ISBN 9780786457274.
- ^ Williams, Raymond Brady (2004). Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration. Aldershot. ISBN 9780754638568.
- ^ Sheth, Pravin N. (2001). Indians in America. Rawat Publications. ISBN 9788170336389.
- ^ Richardson 2014, p. 174.
- ^ Quinn, Edward (14 May 2014). Critical Companion to George Orwell. Facts On File, Incorporated. ISBN 9781438108735.
Sources
- Richardson, E. Allen (2014), Seeing Krishna in America: The Hindu Bhakti Tradition of Vallabhacharya in India and Its Movement to the West, McFarland, ISBN 9780786459735
External links
- Siddhachalam Jain Tirth
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