Shree Jain Shwetamber Nakoda Parshwanath Tirth

Shree Jain Shwetambar Nakoda Parshvanath Tirth is situated in the lap of Adaval mountain range of Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan in the lap of desert sandy dunes with panoramic views of nature. This world famous Jain pilgrimage is present in the lap of a range of hills towards the west, ten kilometers from Balotra, famous for dyeing and printing on textiles, in Balotra subdivision, bordering the desert Barmer district of western Rajasthan, and five kilometers from the historical industrial settlement Jasol. To reach Shri Nakoda Jain Tirth, one has to get down at Balotra Junction railway station on the main railway line running between Jodhpur-Barmer. From here, India's famous Jain pilgrimage Nakoda can be easily reached by various means of bus and road transport via the paved road from Balotra via Jasol. Road transport from Balotra-Jasol and surrounding places is easily available to Shri Nakoda all the time. Apart from the convenience of transportation, there is also the facility of bus transport to Nakoda from many places in the country and the state and as it becomes easier to visit Nakoda Jain pilgrimage by private vehicles, there is a huge crowd of pilgrims at this pilgrimage site.

Shri Nakoda is a very ancient pilgrimage site for Jain followers. On the basis of folklore, legends and folk stories, it is said that Malav Jain ruler had established the cities of Virampur and Nakor. Both these places were the locations of the ancient Maheva state of present-day Barmer district. Veerampur has been a famous place in history by the name of present day Shri Nakoda near Balotra. Nakor Nagar is derived from Nakoda village near Sindhari.

Veeramdutt, the then ruler of Virampur (Nakora), had built the temple of the eighth Jain Tirthankara Shri Chandraprabhaji before the third century AD, whose consecration was completed by Shri Sthulibhadraji. It was renovated by Emperor Samprati in Vikram Purva 189 and its consecration was done by Arya Shri Suhastisuriji on Ashadh Sudi 9. After this, the V.S. of this temple. In 35, Ujjain ruler Veer Vikramaditya got it renovated by Acharya Shri Siddhasenji Diwakar at Migsar Sudi 11, V.No. On 62 Chaitra Sudi 15, Bhaktamar Rachitya Acharya Shri Manatungsuriji, after renovation, released V.S. 415 Jyeshtha Sudi 10 On Wednesday, Acharya Shri Devsuriji also after the renovation and V.S. On 813 Migsar Sudi 13, Gwalior Maharaja Jaysen got this temple renovated and consecrated by Acharya Shri Yashodevasuriji.

 After the temple of Shri Chandraprabhaji of Veerampur in the 3rd century BC. After the renovation of this temple in 909, the statue of Shri Mahavir Swami, the twenty-fourth Tirthankar of the Jain followers, remained here as the main deity. It remained there until renovation in 1223. V.No. on Maheva. In 1280, when Emperor Alamshah attacked, Virampur, a suburb of Maheva state, was badly affected and destroyed. At that time all the idols of the Jain temple here were hidden in the Kalidrah-Nagdrah (pond) of Nakora village near Nakor Nagar (Sindhari).

V.No. In 1313, Rao Veeram reestablished Virampur. After this, the dark colored statue of Lord Shri Parshvanath from Nakor Nagar (Nakora village) was found in Nagdrah Pond, which was found in V.S. In 1429, Acharya Shri Jinodayasuriji established the second Vaishakh Vadi 10 as the Moolnayak in the ancient temple of Shri Chandraprabhaji, Shri Mahavir Swami of Veerampur. Since then this temple of Veerampur became known as Nakoda Parshvanath. V.No. On 1443 Vaishakh Shukla 13, the Mughal emperor Wabisi attacked and Maheva's Veerampur (Nakora) was again destroyed. Even then, the idols of the Jain temple here were hidden for safety in the Kalidrah-Nagdrah pond of Nakor Nagar (Nakoda village) of Sindhari area. V.No. Rawal Vida recaptured Virampur in 1511. Then V.S. In 1512, Acharyashri Kirtiratnasuriji, on the basis of a dream, obtained the idol from the pond of Nakoda village and installed it here. After this, Shravika Lachi Bai built the temple of Shri Adinath Bhagwan and Malashah Sankhalecha, as per the wish of his mother, built the temple of Shri Shantinath Bhagwan and got it consecrated by Acharya Shri Hemvimalsuriji and Acharya Shri Jinchandrasuriji respectively.

The temple of Lord Shri Parshvanath of Veerampur has maintained its religious identity in the name of Shri Nakoda Parshvanath ever since and remains popular even today. But in the latter part of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century, the ruler of this place, Putra Nagar Seth Sankhalecha, got frightened by Nanak's decision to cut the long haired braid and make a jhwari on his horse to drive away the buzzing flies and left Nakoda forever on the pretext of going on a pilgrimage to Jaisalmer. After this, the ruined Nakoda was not settled again as a settlement till today.

 After being destroyed in the seventeenth century. In 1960, Jain Sadhvi Shri Sundarshreeji, after great dedication, devotion, hard work and effort, got it renovated and declared it V.S. On 1991 Magh Shukla 13, the consecration was done by Shri Himmatvijayji (Acharya Shri Mad Vijayhimachalsurishwarji). After this prestige, Nakoda Tirtha is continuously moving forward on the path of progress and development. After this prestige V.S. In 2000, Yati Shri Nemichandraji of Barmer, Dada Shri Jinadatsuri Dadabadi, Pranyas Shri Kalyanvijayji, V.S. In 2005, Acharya Shri Jinaratnasuriji of Chaumukhi temple built in Shri Adinath Bhagwan Temple, V.S. In 2008, Acharya Shrimadvijay Himachalsurishwarji of Dada Shri Kirtiratnasuri Dadabari received V.S. In 2016, Acharyashrimadvijay Himachalsurishwarji presented various Jain idols in V.S. Again in 2029, Acharya Shri Gunaratnasuriswarji, V.S., of various Jain idols of Nakoda. In 2046, Acharya Shri Arihant Siddha Surishwarji of Siddhachakra Temple gave V.S. In 2055, Shri Ratnakar Vijayji of Shri Nakoda Parshvanath, Gyanshala Chaturmukh Temple, received V.S. In 2055 Shri Lakshmisuri Guru Mandir and V.S.  In 2062, Shri Kalaprabhasagar Surishwarji got the Jain worship temple of Gyanshala consecrated. V.S. in the pilgrimage area. Many statues of Pratistha exist in various eras dating from 1500 to 2062. On which many inscriptions of this period are engraved.

With the organization of these consecrations, Jain pilgrimage has started touching the heights of progress day by day from the religious point of view. Among other religious places built there, Lord Mahavir Smriti Bhawan, Mangal Kalash, under construction Samavasarana Temple, Bhaktamar Pattashala etc. have made the religious fame of this Jain pilgrimage popular. The miracles of Shri Bhairavdevji, the presiding deity of Nakoda, have added to the glory of this pilgrimage. The pilgrimage has taken many other religious places in its lap and has created religious faith, belief and reverence among the people. Tirtha has created its unique fame by conducting many types of humanitarian and religious activities like renovation of Jain temples, human service, kindness to life, medical care, education, religious service, Jain Sadhu-Sadhvi Vayavachya, literature publication, Gyanshala operation, Cowshala operation etc. Thousands of devotees participate in the three-day fair organized every year on Posh Vadi Dashami, the birth anniversary of Lord Shri Parshvanathji. For the convenience of travelers and visitors, proper arrangements have been made for food hall, modern comfortable accommodation, electricity, water, telephone, security, transport facilities etc. Shri Jain Shwetambar Nakoda Parshvanath Teerth Trust Board has been formed for the arrangements of the entire pilgrimage.