Sonagiri

In Hindi, Sonagiri means a mountain ('giri') of gold ('sona').[2][3][4]

Sonagiri can be accessed via Dabra-Datia Road. This also lies on Gwalior-Jhansi Road. Sonagiri Railway Station lies on the Agra-Jhansi rail line.[5]

Jain Temples on Sonagiri Hill, woodcut engraving of 1899

Sonagiri, a Siddha-Kṣetra,[6] is considered one of the most important Jain Tirtha (pilgrimage site).[7]

According to Jain texts, since the time of Chandraprabhu (the 8th Teerthankar), five and a half crores of ascetic saints have achieved moksha (liberation) here. The place is considered sacred by devotees. There is a 3 metres (9.8 ft) rock cut image of Chandraprabhu dating back to the 5th to 6th century.[8] There are a total of 103 temples with 77 on hill and 26 in village.[9][4] The Samavsharan of Bhagwan Chandraprabhu came here seventeen times. According to Jain belief, King Nanganang along with half a million followers attained moksha.[10] Nang, Anang, Chintagati, Poornachand, Ashoksen, Shridatta, Swarnbhadra and many other saints achieved salvation here.

This is a unique place known as Laghu Sammed Shikhar covering the area of 132 acres of two hills.[11] Sonagiri was also had a Bhattaraka seat and following the death of Bhaṭṭāraka Candrabhūṣaṇa the seat became defunct in the late twentieth century.[12][13][6] A number of Bhattarakapada-sthāpnā manuscripts were also composed here.[14][15]

There are total of 77 temples on the hill. Each temple are white in colour and features a high spire.[10][16] The temple number 57 is the main temple in Sonagiri.[17] Acharya Shubh Chandra and Bhartrihari lived and worked here for spiritual achievements. Like Kundalpur, Girnar Jain temples, Dilwara temples and Shikharji, the Sonagiri temple complex is known for its rich architecture.[5][18]

Chandraprabha temple, Sonagiri

The temple Number 57 is the main temple. This is vast in size and possesses an attractive artistic spire. In this temple, the principal deity is a 11 feet (3.4 m) idol of Chandraprabha popularly known as Bade baba.[19] There are two vedis (altar) with an idol of Sheetalnath and Parsvanatha on either side on the main vedi. The temple also includes a 43 feet (13 m) manastambha (transl. column of honour) and a model of Samavasarana.[17]

The Samavasarana temple enshrines a beautiful sculptural representation of Samavasarana. The sculpture features moulding at the base supported by three circular tiers surmounted by a square pavilion and enshrines a chaumukha (four-faced) image of a Jina at the centre.[20]

The temple is popular among Jain devotees and was also visited by former US president Bill Clinton and European presidents.[21][10]

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  Jain temples, Sonagiri hill
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  Sonagiri Jain temple
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  Nandishwar temple, Sonagiri
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  Samavsharan temple
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  The image of Chandraprabhu inside the main temple

• Muktagiri
• Gopachal Hill

• Media related to Sonagiri at Wikimedia Commons
• Columbia University in the city of New York - Sonagiri