How to Reach: The nearest railway station of Arsalu is at a distance of 25 kilometers. It is 80 Kms by road from another pilgrimage center Halli. Board and board and lodging provisions are there near the temple.

Mulnayak: Nearly 120 cms high, Black-colored idol of Bhagawan Parshvanath in the Padmasana posture. This is a atishay kshetra.
Art and Architecture: temple    padmavati    Parsvanath     art    tirthanakar    Yakshi

Historicity: The history of Humeha (also Hombuja), a quiet, unobtrusive township and seat of a Jaina Bhattaraka, began about 1300 years ago with the arrival of Jinadatta, a royal prince of Mathura in the north, who had to flee his home city for family reasons. Kamataka is known as the home of great story-tellers, and thus, in the course of the centuries, the account of prince Jinadatta's flight southward at the counsel of his guru Muni Siddhanta, a Jaina Digambara monk, grew into an embellished but rather long and complicated tale of adventure in which Padmavati, that popular goddess who likes to employ ways and means not easily understood by humans, plays the mayor part. Heeding further advice from his guru, Jinadatta took a statue of Padmavati, strapped to his back, with him on his long journey south; she would protect him against dangers, the muni had told him. One day, on his long flight on horseback, at a place where Humeha's famous Lakki tree still grows from under the feet of the Padmavati image About this image, the story goes on the way, he halted to take rest under a tree. In a dream, he got an inspiration to set up a capital here. He, therefore, set up his capital here, built temples and got nine-jeweled idols installed. The temple of Padmavatidevi is very majestic. The like of it is not found elsewhere. On the day of the Mula constellation in the month of March every year, a joy-festival of Padmavatidevi is celebrated. Thousands of pilgrims from every nook and corner of India, come here. The more sight of Padmavatidevi fulfils the wishes of the worshippers. Here, many worshippers come and go. The atmosphere here is always like that of a fair.The tree under which Jindattarai took rest, is present even today. The artistic idols here and the nine-jeweled idols installed in the monastery are very beautiful and delightful. Here is a 1300 years old lake named Moti. It does not dry up even in times of famine. The Padmavati temple is very rich and splendid. The idol of Padmavatidevi is very miraculous and expressive.
None of the small southern kingdoms withstood the political upheavals brought about by the invasion of Muslim Forces from the north, but at Humeha and some other places the Digambara Bhattaraka tradition has been kept alive till now.

The present Bhattaraka of Humcha who bears the title Devendrakirthi Swamigal was traditionally chosen by his predecessor and installed in 1971 at the age of twenty- two. He is both an able conservator of Jaina traditions and values as well as an enterprising innovator in fields such as education and social welfare, and he is one of the as yet small number of Jainas who take an active interest in making Jainism better known in the world. Foreign visitors to Humcha who would like to stay for some time and learn the basic tenets of the Jaina religion and philosophy are wel- come. The peaceful environment, the five temples with their sculptural treasures, and a library make Humcha an ideal retreat for study and meditation. Though situated at a rather far distance from the nearest interstate highway, this small town is well, served with state and private busses (for address see appendix).

The Bhattaraka tradition

In the fourfold division. of the Jaina society consisting of shravakas (male laity), shravikas (female laity), sadhus (monks) and sadhvis (nuns), the Bhattaraka, a specific Digambara institution, is placed above the laity but below the ascetics. He resides in a permanent domicile called matha, a term generally rendered 'monastery' (which is rather misleading), and is committed to living a celibate life. He uses, like a fully ordained monk, a fly-whisk made of peacock feathers but wears three pieces of clothing. However, he need not pluck his hair and may travel by any kind of transport. His main duties lie in the fields of education, social and 'medical welfare, in fostering anlity among the members of the community, and in keeping religious rites and traditions alive. Further, he is expected to be well versed in matters of doctrines and sacred law as well as being an able administrator and negotiator when it comes to settling disputes with local or state governments.

Traditionally, a Bhattaraka nominates his successor, almost always from among his disciples. If for any reason he fails to do that, a committee of lay-people will se- lect a new Bhattaraka. When death approaches, the custom prevails that a Bhattaraka will discard his three pieces of clothing, so that he may die the death of an ordained monk, that is naked.

The Bhattaraka traditionlis believed to have originated during the eighth century; however, of the once thirty-six seats of BhattarAas only eleven still exist: one each in Rajasthan and Tamilnadu, three in Maharashtra and six in Karnataka.

. Trust:   Shri Devendrakirti Swamiji Jain Math, Humbaj - 577436, Dist: Shimoga, State: Karnatak, India.