Shri
Songiri Tirth
Mulnayak: 360 cms. high,
black-colored idol of Bhagawan Chandraprabh Swami in the Kayotsarga posture.
How to Reach: It
is on a hill near the Anaval village. A convenient way to reach the Jaina temple-hill of
Sonagiri is by boarding a south- bound train at Gwalior or a north-bound one at Lalitpur
or Jhansi After a journey of about sixty kilometres from Gwaltor (or forty from Jhansi)
the train will halt at a lonely station bearing the name Of, SONAGIRI. Here, tongas and
rickshaws are in attendance to take the pilgrims to tirth For climbing the hill,
there are steps. There are a number of comfortable dharmashalas for pilgrims.There are
very good boarding provisions.
Art and Architecture: Bhagwan Chandraprabh
Historicity: Building of the temples which dot the crest and the
northeasterly slope of the rocky hill began about the year. 1300 and continued for some
centuries. The latest structures are of recent dateIn ancient times, this tirth was called
Shravangiri. The history prior to the year 335 of the Vikram era is not traceable. But
there is a reference that it was renovated at that time. Infinite number of Sadhus
attained nirvana here. This is also the place of samavasarana of Bhagawan Chandraprabh
Swami, the eighth Tirthankar.Besides this, there are 82 pinnacled temples on the hill and
16 temples at the foot of the hill.A very large group of pinnacled temples in such a
beautiful hilly atmosphere, present a pious atmosphere.On the hill, there is broad-mouthed
cocoanut basin. It is cut from a slab of stone in the shape of a coconut. There is also
another slab of stone. When it is beaten it produces sound like that of a metal. It is,
therefore, called Bajani shila.
Trust: Shri Digambar Siddhakshetra Samrakshan Committee, Songiri, Dist :
Dattiya State : Madhya Pradesh, India.