- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:13 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Rishabdev Jayanti: Ayodhya takes pride in being the birthplace of the first Tirthankar, Lord Rishabhdev. While Ram Janmotsav is celebrated annually on Chaitra Shukla Navami, Rishabhdev’s birth anniversary falls on Chaitra Krishna Navami. This year, the occasion will be observed on March 22, highlighting the deep-rooted Jain tradition in the city.
Among Jainism’s 24 Tirthankaras, five—including Rishabhdev—were born in Ayodhya. The others are Ajitnath (2nd), Abhinandannath (4th), Sumatinath (5th), and Anantnath (14th). The birthplace of Lord Rishabhdev is believed to be in Tulsi Nagar near Swargadwar, one of Ayodhya’s oldest localities. A grand temple with a magnificent idol of the first Tirthankar stands there. However, the Raiganj Mohalla temple is regarded as the primary center of Jain faith.
The preservation of Ayodhya’s Jain heritage is credited to Sadhvi Gyanmati Mata and Peethadheesh Ravindrakirti Swami, President of the Digambar Jain Ayodhya Tirth Kshetra Committee.
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Recently, the Digambar Jain temple in Raiganj has been further adorned with a pavilion featuring 727 statues, including 720 Tirthankaras from different eras, 101 sons of Rishabhdev, and other revered Jain figures. The temple complex already houses a 31-foot statue of Lord Rishabhdev and another 31-foot idol of his eldest son, Chakravarti Bharat.
On Rishabhdev’s birth anniversary, faith and devotion will be at their peak with a grand Shobha Yatra, Maha Mastakabhishek, and Samvad-Satsang. These celebrations will further enhance the spiritual grandeur of the Jain temple.
According to Jain scriptures, Lord Rishabhdev, the son of King Nabhiraj and Queen Marudevi, was born in Ayodhya on Chaitra Krishna Navami at the dawn of creation. He had 101 sons, the eldest being Bharat, who became the first Chakravarti emperor.
The nation Bharatvarsh was named in his honor. The royal lineage that began with Rishabhdev, known as the Ikshvaku clan, is also the same lineage in which Lord Rama later incarnated.
